He and his roommates were relaxing outside their home. Then the stabbing began, cops say

A South Florida man is accused of trying to stab one of his roommates to death.

James Russel Griffin, 53, was arrested Tuesday and charged with attempted first-degree murder with a deadly weapon.

It took Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputies a little under two weeks to track down Griffin after the June 28 incident. Sometime that evening, Griffin and two of his three roommates were relaxing behind their Boynton Beach-area residence when the 53-year-old suddenly became “belligerent and irrational,” according to the arrest report.

Griffin then lunged at one of his roommates, 30-year-old Daniel Klestinec. The two began to fight, with Griffin eventually overpowering his younger housemate, one of the roommates told deputies.

Hearing yelling, the third roommate followed the noise out back just in time to see Griffin stab the victim “in the stomach area” before leaving, according to the report.

The two roommates immediately called 911. Boynton Beach Fire Rescue took the injured housemate to Delray Medical Center.

Each of the roommates told deputies that Griffin was the assailant, with one calling the attack unprovoked. The trio added that he had history of “extreme violent tendencies,” which frightened them because they believed he would return to the home to inflict more chaos, the report says.

It’s unclear where Griffin went after running from the home.

Jail records show Griffin is being held at Palm Beach County’s Main Detention Center without bond.