Florida Man Shot Dead After Climbing Into Stranger’s Bed With Machete, Whispering ‘I Love You’
A Florida man was shot dead Thursday after breaking into a stranger’s house, getting into bed with the homeowner, and saying “I love you” while wielding a machete, authorities said.
The victim was asleep in an apartment attached to his home in Fruitville, Florida, when the bizarre ordeal began. The unnamed homeowner woke up to find the intruder lying next to him with a machete belonging to the victim. The armed man—who authorities have not identified—was whispering his sweet nothings to the victim when he woke him up.
“I have an intruder that broke into my home,” the victim told 911 dispatchers, Fox 35 reports. “He’s got a damn machete and he’s a little whacked.”
The victim added: “I woke up on a mattress and there’s a guy lying next to me saying, ‘I love you.’ I’m weirded out. He’s got my machete in his hand.”
The menacing home-invader was also said to be sharpening the huge blade with a baseball bat. After calling for help, the homeowner fled the property.
Four deputies from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the apartment and found the armed trespasser inside at around 9:30 a.m. The suspect charged at one of the deputies and slashed one their hands, the sheriff’s office said, at which point two of the other deputies shot the suspect. The officers attempted to treat the intruder after he was shot, but he ultimately died from his injuries. The homeowner escaped the terrifying incident without injury.
“I pray to God he doesn’t lose his fingers or his hand,” a spokesperson said of the wounded deputy. “I can tell you it’s not life-threatening, but they are critical injuries.” The spokesperson added: “Unfortunately, this was a bad ending to a really bad situation. Any day that our deputies have to fire a weapon, it is not a good day.”
The wounded deputy will require surgery on his hand, the spokesperson said.
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