Collier County teen injured in violent parking lot incident

A teenager is fighting for his life after a violent confrontation in Collier County.

Deputies say 20-year-old Hayden Retherford attacked his ex-girlfriend and then turned his aggression on a 17-year-old who tried to intervene.

Retherford allegedly followed his ex-girlfriend into a McDonald’s bathroom, slammed her into the wall, and stole her phone. The situation escalated into a fight in the parking lot.

The 17-year-old, Yan Dali Carrillo Pantyushina, stepped in to help the young girl. Deputies say Retherford stabbed him and then intentionally ran him over as he drove away.

WINK News reporter Maddie Herron spoke exclusively with Pantyushina’s mother, Polina Pantyushina de Chavez, who shared her shock and distress over the incident.

“I cannot express when you are in shock seeing your baby dying,” said Pantyushina de Chavez.

She relived the harrowing moment outside Gulf Coast Hospital, recalling the scene from Friday night.

“He was stabbed. He was run over with the car four times by the same person who stabbed him, and next, he was bleeding almost to death,” said Pantyushina de Chavez.

According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, Retherford was arrested for the stabbing on Monday. The altercation began at the McDonald’s on Collier Boulevard, where Retherford allegedly shoved his ex-girlfriend and stole her phone.

Pantyushina and his friends followed Retherford to a nearby bank parking lot to retrieve the girl’s phone, but the situation quickly turned violent.

“He wanted to confront him and just to make him stop. That’s all he wanted. They started fighting. I think they fell on the ground, and eventually, the guy stabbed him,” said Pantyushina de Chavez.

The stab wounds pierced Pantyushina’s lungs, leaving him collapsed in the parking lot. The girl he tried to protect helped him walk to safety, but the danger wasn’t over.

“Next thing my son hears the squeezing noise of the tires. The guy went on a full speed and hit both of them on the back,” said Pantyushina de Chavez.

Pantyushina de Chavez rushed to the hospital to be with her son, who expressed his remorse for the situation.

“The first thing he said, ‘Mom, forgive me.’ I said, What do you have to forgive you? I have to forgive you that you grew up a brave man, that you are full of empathy, that you were, you felt for the girl. You stood up for a girl. I’m proud of you,” she said.

Despite the pain, Pantyushina remains determined to move forward.

“I think this situation really is a life-changing point for him… after the pain, kind of crisis, he could speak. He said, ‘Mom, really, I think I even probably needed it because now I realized how much I want to live,'” said Pantyushina de Chavez.

This incident is a stark reminder of the dangers that can arise when stepping in to help others, but it also highlights the bravery and resilience of those willing to stand up in defense of others.

Retherford’s charges include three counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, robbery and two counts of battery.

If you are a victim of domestic violence, the Shelter for Abused Women and Children provides a 24/7 crisis hotline. Click here for more information.

Click here to submit a form to the Abuse Counseling & Treatment, Inc.