Underage teen charged in Knight Library fight that injured woman, Orange deputies say

A 17-year-old has been arrested for the fight in which a young woman was body-slammed and severely injured at the Knight Library nightclub near the University of Central Florida.

The teen, who the Orlando Sentinel isn’t naming because he has not been charged as an adult, was arrested for felony battery after speaking with deputies Tuesday, an Orange County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said in a news release. He turns 18 later this month.

The release did not detail what the teen is believed to have done to the young woman, or what he said to deputies.

Knight Library, a popular nightclub on University Boulevard just minutes from UCF, allows 18-year-olds to enter the premises, though they are not allowed to purchase alcohol. It’s not clear how the teenage suspect was allowed inside, and the business did not respond to a message seeking comment.

The club, which advertises cheap drinks and daily themed nights on its website, is open from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. News of the incident prompted outrage and fear on social media from UCF parents and alumni.

Mark NeJame, the attorney representing 19-year-old Olivia Nogueras, the woman injured when she was body-slammed to the floor, called the suspect’s age “extremely disturbing.”

His law firm is investigating the nightclub.

“No juvenile should be in this environment for many reasons, including the irresponsibility and immaturity that can lead to something like this,” NeJame said. “This confirmed our information and our worst suspicions.”

On Aug. 7, a fight broke out between two men at the club and in the melee one of them punched Nogueras, who suffered a fractured skull and a brain bleed after she was slammed to the floor, he said. In a video posted several days later, Nogueras said she punched one of the males after he punched her in the face, and then she was thrown to the ground.

She spent three days in the ICU and was released Monday night, said NeJame and her mother.

“Besides all that mishap, I’m just blessed to be here today. I’m thankful for the people I have with me,” she said in her video posted on TikTok.

The sheriff’s office said off-duty deputies were working at the club at the time of the fight. It declined to release the suspect’s arrest affidavit, citing his age. That document may include details about what those off-duty deputies observed.

Video that circulated on social media showed Nogueras appearing to have a seizure while lying on the club’s dance floor. She was already recovering from a serious head injury incurred last year as a softball player at Warner College in Polk County. She was going to resume her studies this fall at Valencia College but those plans may be on hold, NeJame said.

It’s not clear how much the new head injury exacerbated the old one, he added.