A 13-year-old boy is recovering after a man allegedly walked up to him and slashed his throat with an edged weapon in an unprovoked attack on the Daytona Beach Boardwalk on Valentine's Day night.
Sullivan Clarke was walking along the boardwalk with his parents around 10 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14, when 44-year-old Jermaine Lynn Long allegedly approached and cut the boy's neck without warning. The family had been visiting Daytona Beach for the races at Daytona International Speedway and was heading back to their hotel when the attack occurred.
Sullivan's mother, Lori Clarke, told local media she initially thought the man was trying to steal her son's phone. She said she saw Long walking toward Sullivan with a strange look in his eyes before he suddenly lunged at the teen, according to People.
Doctors told the Clarke family that the blade missed a major artery by just one millimeter. Sullivan's father, Jerod Clarke, said he could see deep into the wound on his son's neck. The teen received 13 stitches at Halifax Health Medical Center.
Sullivan believes he survived because he looked up at the Slingshot amusement ride at the exact moment of the attack. That small movement caused the blade to strike the side of his neck rather than his windpipe or a vital artery.
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Police located Long near an overpass on the pier close to Joe's Crab Shack shortly after the attack and took him into custody. He was charged with a felony count of second-degree aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. He is currently being held at the Volusia County Jail without bond, Yahoo News reported.
Long invoked his right to an attorney during questioning and has refused to cooperate with investigators. Police have not identified a motive for the attack, and the Clarke family says Sullivan had no prior contact with the suspect.
Court records show Long has a lengthy criminal history in Volusia County, including five prior felony cases and five misdemeanor cases. The charges include failure to properly register as a sex offender and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Just weeks before the boardwalk attack, Long had been arrested on Jan. 14 after allegedly threatening two men with a kitchen knife and an eight-foot wooden pole. However, prosecutors dropped those charges on Feb. 10, just four days before the attack on Sullivan.
Long made a court appearance on Tuesday, Feb. 17. Sullivan is now recovering at home with his family, as per Fox35 Orlando.
