A 27-year-old man has been arrested in Florida after putting a 7-year-old girl in a chokehold and stabbing an 81-year-old man.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office apprehended Yoan Gonzalez Vazquez on 29 September following reports that a naked man had jumped a residence’s backyard fence in Tampa and placed a young girl who had been playing on a trampoline in a chokehold.
Police said the girl was rescued by her mother and neighbors, and Vazquez fled the scene on foot.
Upon arrival, deputies found Vazquez hiding under a covered porch and arrested him.
Investigators learned that after fleeing the first residence, the suspect entered another and allegedly stabbed an 81-year-old man, who was transported to hospital and treated for his injuries.
Police photograph of Yoan Gonzalez Vazquez. The 27-year-old is facing several charges after he was arrested for stabbing an 81-year-old man and placing a 7-year-old girl in a chokehold.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
“I can’t imagine the terror this mother must have felt as she watched a violent man lay hands on her child,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister.
“The bravery shown by her and the neighbors who intervened to rescue this girl is heroic.
“This individual’s evil actions targeted both a child and an elderly person, showing disregard for human life,” Chronister said.
“Thanks to our deputies’ swift response, this man will face the consequences of his actions and answer for the harm and trauma he has caused these families.”
Newsweek has contacted the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for additional comment and information via email outside of standard working hours.
Vazquez is facing several charges, including two charges of burglary with battery and one charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
He was transported to the Tampa General Hospital for evaluation and subsequently booked into Orient Road Jail.
Police said additional charges may be forthcoming and the investigation remained active.
In an unrelated incident last month, a Florida man chalked up his 75th arrest in a criminal career spanning nearly four decades.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested 57-year-old Mark Brents and booked him into the Orient Road Jail—his 75th arrest since 1985—for defrauding over $4,500 in merchandise over 10 separate incidents.
An investigation launched in August revealed a bar code manipulation scheme targeting Lowe’s stores across Hillsborough County and Clearwater, police said at the time. Brents’ fraudulent activities involved switching bar codes from more expensive merchandise with tags from cheaper items, allowing him to buy products for less than their intended retail price.
Charges against Brents, who has also been in prison 11 times, included organized scheme to defraud, retail theft, and felony petit theft.
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