By Juliana A. Torres
Staff Writer

Three Polk County teenagers were arrested for the second-degree murder of a 52-year-old Kissimmee man, who was riding his bicycle behind a Lakeland restaurant and began arguing with the suspects, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office reported.

Joseph Ruba, whose last known address was 900 Vine St., was killed when the argument escalated into the fight Saturday night, deputies said. The teenager accused of being the primary perpetrator in the fight, 18-year-old Christopher Shane Decatur, of Lakeland, surrendered Sunday. Detectives had already arrested his cousin, 17-year-old Shawn Casey Whitten, of Auburndale, and friend, 15-year-old Cody Osborne, of Lakeland, both charged with second-degree murder.

Ruba was biking behind Tom’s Restaurant at 1349 Combee Road in Lakeland when he rode by a group of four teenagers, yelling at them, according to the arrest affidavits for the three arrested.

“Is he talking to us?” Decatur asked before he walked over to Ruba and began arguing.

Ruba tried to hit Decatur, who grabbed and slammed him onto the ground, Osborne told detectives during the investigation. The others walked over when the fight started. As he held the older man down, Decatur yelled that Ruba was stabbing him, prompting Whitten and Osborne to join the fight, kicking the man as Decatur hit him, the teenagers told detectives.

A witness to the fight eventually intervened, breaking up the fight and calling for emergency help. Ruba, however, died at the scene.

Decatur, Osborne and Whitten were charged with second-degree murder and booked into the Polk County Jail. The investigation is ongoing.