A 13-year-old boy was enjoying a family vacation in Florida when he was randomly attacked on a boardwalk by a stranger, who slashed him and sliced his neck open.
Jermaine Lynn Long has been arrested on one charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to online records viewed by Luxury Handbag Shopping.
Police officers responded to the Daytona Beach Boardwalk around 10 p.m. on Saturday, February 14, after they received reports of a stabbing, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit viewed by Law & Crime. Upon their arrival, authorities found that the victim was suffering from a “severe laceration” to his neck.
The victim, who has since been identified as Sullivan “Sully” Clarke, was then rushed to the hospital for treatment. Once he was in stable condition, Clarke spoke to authorities and said he did not see his attacker prior to the incident.
“He did not realize he had been cut until other people on scene in a car nearby informed him that he had a cut on his neck,” cops wrote in the affidavit.
Meanwhile, authorities spoke to witnesses who were able to share a description of the suspect. Officers then found a man near Joe’s Crab Shack that matched the description, and he also allegedly had a box cutter and a silver knife on him.
Long, 44, was reportedly “lingering” in the area before the attack took place, while witnesses claimed they saw him slash the boy across the neck with an edged weapon.
After Long was read his Miranda Rights, he reportedly admitted to putting his hands on the victim. However, he denied that he cut his throat and requested that the cops stop interviewing him until he was able to retain a lawyer.
Sullivan told WOFL that he was on his phone, and he was walking around the boardwalk with his family when the attack took place.
“The crazy thing is I turned at the perfect time because I was on the phone and I looked up at the slingshot and that’s how he got the side of my neck and not right here,” he said, as he pointed at his Adam’s apple.
Sullivan’s mother told the outlet that she first thought that Long was trying to steal her son’s cellphone. However, she realized it was an attempted stabbing when she saw his weapon.
Meanwhile, Sullivan’s father, Jerod Clarke, said he was shocked by the situation and shared graphic details about the aftermath of the attack. “As soon as we realized what happened, I could see his neck gashed right open,” he said. “I could see all the way down to the meat.”
While Sullivan survived the attack, doctors told the family that he would have died if the wound was any deeper.
Long is currently in custody at Volusia County Jail and is being held without bond. He is next scheduled to appear in court on March 10.
It is not currently clear if Long entered a plea or retained legal representation following his arrest.
