A shocking link has emerged between the woman punched in the face at Disney World in front of horrified families and her attacker.
Matthew Edward Cameron, aged 22, was taken into custody at Orlando’s Magic Kingdom theme park at 9.40 pm on October 19, last year after allegedly assaulting a woman during his visit to ‘The Most Magical Place on Earth.’
Chaotic video, obtained by the Daily Mail, showed the aftermath of the wild incident at Casey’s Corner – a crowded spot with a hot dog stand.
A police report obtained by the Daily Mail indicates that Cameron is accused of attacking his mother, Diane Marie Cameron, 56, during a quarrel.
Officer Dominic Gonzalez of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department noted in his report, “Diane stated that Matthew suddenly became angry with her, pushing the left side of her face away, then punching her, which knocked her down and caused a bloody nose.”
At the time, Cameron, from Burlington, Massachusetts, was arrested and charged with domestic battery.
But prosecutors suddenly dropped the charges at a court hearing on January 14. It is unclear why.
Cameron was on vacation at Disney World with his mom Diane and sister Sarah at the time.
Video obtained by the Daily Mail shows the chaos in the aftermath of the incident at Disney World
Matthew Edward Cameron, 21, from Burlington, Massachusetts, was arrested at Disney World on October 19
Cameron’s mom Diane and sister Sarah in Mini Mouse ears during a previous Disney World trip
Eyewitness Michael Williams was standing nearby with his family when the incident unfolded.
He told police he saw Cameron punch his mother and so he tackled him and held him on the ground.
Another witness, Matthew Remark, told police he also saw the attack and assisted Williams in restraining Cameron.
Officers arrived on the scene minutes later to find Diane with a bloody nose and red marks on her face.
Cameron admitted to the assault under questioning after waiving his right to silence, police said.
‘Matthew advised he punched Diane when he became frustrated after having an argument with her,’ the police report said.
‘Matthew advised he was not thinking when he punched Diane and simply did it out of frustration.’
Diane told police her son ‘has suffered from severe schizophrenia for several years and sometimes experiences severe hallucinations’.
Chaotic video showed the aftermath of the incident with Cameron being restrained on the ground by other patrons
One man kept restraining Cameron until a security guard arrived and led the suspect away
She said Cameron had hit her a few times in the past during some of those hallucinations.
The police report did not say whether or not Cameron might have been hallucinating during the incident at Disney World.
Video footage captured shortly after the incident shows Cameron’s mother Diane and sister Sarah standing a few feet away from him, appearing upset and holding tissues to their noses.
“Both women were visibly crying with bloody noses. I observed two young children, also in tears, being escorted away by a Disney cast member,” the individual who recorded the video reported to the Daily Mail.
Cameron was lying on the ground being restrained by Williams and Remark, while witnesses were seen telling staff what had just happened.
One of the men was seen kneeling on Cameron’s back until a security guard arrived.
The guard and Disney World staff surrounded Cameron and led him away.
The man who filmed the video, who asked not to be named, said a sheriff’s deputy arrived a minute or so after he stopped filming.
Cameron’s sister Sarah with their mother Diane Cameron during a previous Disney trip
Cameron (right) with his sister Sarah and father Edward last year. The charges against Cameron have now been dropped
Cameron’s sister Sarah on a previous trip to Disney World in 2022. She was present during the alleged attack
Cameron (with his sister Sarah back home in Massachusetts) admitted to officers on the scene that he got frustrated with his mom and hit her
He said a ‘swarm’ of staff tried to shield onlookers from the chaos and ‘kind of built a wall in front of the incident’.
‘My family and I visit Disney parks generally every weekend. This was a rare occurrence at Disney, for sure,’ he said.
This person also mentioned that security measures at various Disney locations, especially in parking garages connected to the free Disney Springs shopping area, have noticeably increased.
‘In the past, we may have walked by a Disney security officer with a sniffing dog, but not all garages had a checkpoint with metal detectors,’ he said.
‘Now I believe all entrances to Disney Springs have an official security checkpoint.’
Cameron’s family appear to be regular visitors to Disney World.
His father Edward, Diane, and Sarah have all shared photos of each other on previous trips to the theme park.
Disney did not respond to a request for comment about the incident.
