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Vet badly beaten during holiday weekend on the Oceanfront

Posted at 11:46 PM, Jul 10, 2014
and last updated 2014-07-10 23:46:20-04

Sean Dutrow has 17 stitches in his wounded forehead and an orbital fracture behind this bruised eye.

The Iraq war veteran went to his Leesburg, Virginia home after a family vacation with his wife and 5-month-old daughter at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.

"It was just supposed to be a fun time with family and friends. It was Sophie's first time at the beach," says Dutrow.

That fun time turned violent during the 4th of July holiday weekend.

It was around 2:30 Sunday morning when Dutrow was leaving a beach side bar on Pacific Avenue with a buddy, also a veteran.

Beach police say Dutrow got into an argument with two teens.

That argument quickly escalated and police say the two teens attacked Dutrow.

He ended up in the hospital.

His wife Kasey got the call that her husband was badly hurt.

"I was driving to the hospital thinking I was going to be a widow. He was lying there with a breathing tube and a brace around his neck. Pretty scary,” says Kasey. "It's just so vicious what they did. I just keep thinking of him lying in the street and somebody's stomping and kicking his head. It seems to me they were trying to kill him."

Police arrested the teens and charged them with malicious assault and curfew violation.

Investigators have not revealed a motive for the attack, but they do say alcohol appears to be a contributing factor.