Rae Pitt, 20, poses as Superman and waves to the community in Minneola, Fla. Pitt was attacked last week by a 26-year-old man. (Photo: WFTV)

The community of Minneola, Fla., has its very own superhero, in the form of a young man named Rae Pitt. Deaf and autistic, Pitt spends his days dressed as his idol Superman waving to passersby and cars at a busy intersection in Lake County, Fla. For the most part, the community is happy to see and interact with Pitt, whose strongest power seems to be a smile and friendly wave.

That’s why everyone in town was so shocked when Pitt came across his first real-life villain. As reported by local news station WFTV, Pitt was conducting his daily superhero patrol last Thursday when a man by the name of Tyler McCorvey, who witnesses described as “acting very strange,” felt compelled to mock and pester the Minneola Superhero. McCorvey, 26, later told police he went to the intersection specifically to “challenge Superman to a fight.”

Despite his deafness and autism, Pitt was clearly cognizant of the fact he was being threatened, mocked, and in potential danger. He was able to send text messages to his mother that someone was trying to hurt him and that he was scared. When Pitt tried to leave, McCorvey attacked the defenseless 20-year-old Pitt, dressed as usual in his Superman costume. McCorvey punched Pitt, then slammed his head onto a car.

Witnesses to the incident quickly rushed to protect Pitt from further molestation, and the suspect fled. Police reportedly arrested McCorvey as he was running away with a garbage can on his head. (Whether that’s his supervillain identity is unconfirmed.) The man faces charges including abuse of an elderly or disabled person, which he will likely add to the domestic violence and battery arrests he already has on his rap sheet.

As any real superhero might, Pitt returned to duty the following day.

UPDATE: Some friends and fans of Pitt have put together a fundraiser to help send the Minneola Superhero to a Superman fan gathering in Metropolis, Minnesota. The GoFundMe campaign can be found here.

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