A repeat offender in Volusia County, Florida, was released from jail just days before he allegedly stabbed a 13-year-old boy in the neck on Valentine’s Day, according to court records and local reports.
The frightening incident unfolded around 10 p.m. on Feb. 14, as the Clarke family was walking along the Daytona Beach Boardwalk. The family was returning to their hotel from the Daytona International Speedway when, according to Fox 35, a man approached 13-year-old Sullivan Clarke and allegedly slashed his throat without warning.
Sullivan’s mother told Fox 35 she witnessed the attack and at first believed the suspect was attempting to steal her son’s phone.
“As soon as he slashed him, I yelled, and I said ‘Hey!’” she told the outlet.
Sullivan’s father said the family could see deep into their son’s wound, underscoring just how close the incident came to turning fatal. Doctors reportedly told the family that if the cut had gone just a millimeter further, Sullivan would have died.
Sullivan himself said he believes his life was spared because he happened to turn his head at the precise moment of the attack to look up at a ride on the pier. According to Fox 35, had the blade struck differently, it could have severed his windpipe or a major artery instead of slicing the side of his neck.
The suspect, later identified as 44-year-old Jermaine Long, was described by the Daytona Beach News Journal as a homeless man who allegedly used a box cutter in the attack.
County inmate records show that Long had been arrested eight times since 2022. He was last released from custody just four days before the alleged stabbing. At that time, he had been charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Long’s criminal history includes additional charges such as failure to properly register as a sex offender, petit theft, possession of paraphernalia and battery. He is now facing two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in connection with the alleged attack on Sullivan.
The timing of Long’s release has drawn attention, given the severity of the alleged crime and his prior record.
Just one day before the alleged stabbing — and three days after Long’s release — Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young released a video statement addressing claims that the department had been over-policing black and brown communities.
“Our officers do not police based on race or ethnicity; we police behavior,” Young said in the video. “Our enforcement efforts are guided by calls for service, documented complaints, crime trends and direct requests from residents who want their neighborhoods to be safe and peaceful.”
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to a request for comment regarding the circumstances surrounding Long’s release.
As Sullivan continues to recover from what doctors say could have been a fatal injury, the case has raised serious questions about repeat offenders, public safety and the consequences of releasing individuals with violent histories back onto the streets.
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