YouTube Prankster Arrested For Attack On Female Jogger! Was It A JOKE?!?

In other WTF-is-going-on-with-people news, a popular YouTube prankster was arrested in Miami Beach over the weekend for allegedly attacking an unsuspecting woman on a jog.

According to Miami Beach police, Vitaly Zdorovetskiy (pictured above in a totally normal, not-at-all-creepy mugshot), known on YouTube as VitalyzedTv, hopped out of his car and jumped in front of the woman, who was out for a “leisurely jog,” with arms open, as if to grab her.

Police allege the prankster then tackled her to the ground, straddled her, and punched her with closed fists in the face and chest “numerous times” while she screamed for help. Her screams apparently caught the attention of people nearby, which she told authorities she believes caused Zdorovetskiy to eventually stop the assault.

Per the report, the woman was left with a 2-inch laceration above her right eye that required stitches, as well as pain and soreness to her chest. She told police she did not know the YouTube star prior to the attack.

Wait… was this supposed to be just a “prank”??

The 28-year-old, who rose to fame in 2012 with the video “Miami Zombie Attack Prank!” that went on to get 30 million views, was later apprehended at a nearby home. He was arrested and charged with aggravated battery, and was released from custody after posting a $7,500 bond on Monday.

Zdorovetskiy has amassed over 10 million subscribers on the platform, where he posts videos involving pranks — like his most recent video, which follows him pretending to pee and fart near unsuspecting people in public — and stunts, including one where he rushed the field at the World Cup in Brazil.

This is far from the Russian-American influencer’s first brush with the law. In July 2012, he was arrested in Boca Raton, Florida, for a bomb hoax. According to the Sun-Sentinal, Zdorovetskiy and a fellow prankster were jailed for 20 hours after Zdorovetskiy approached a man and made it seem like the briefcase he was carrying was a bomb. The video, titled “Russian Hitman Prank Gone Wrong,” has over 3 million views and is still online — despite YouTube’s supposed crackdown on dangerous pranks.

He was arrested again in 2016 in Los Angeles for climbing up the letter “D” on the Hollywood sign. Then, earlier this year, the YouTuber spent five days in an Egyptian prison after getting caught taking selfies while climbing the iconic Pyramids of Giza.

Vitaly wrote of his time behind bars:

“No words can explain what I just went through the past 5 days. I was [locked] up in Egypt because I climbed the Pyramids of Giza. I’ve been to jail many times but this one was by far the very worst. I saw horrible things and I don’t wish this upon anybody. Was it worth it? F*** YEAH! I did it for a good cause and soon I’m going to share the whole video so the whole world can see.”

Doing crazy stunts for views is one thing, but actually injuring an innocent person? Well, that’s just criminal.

[Image via Miami-Dade County Police Department]