Bodycam: Fla. Deputies Stop Machete-Wielding Home Invader Thanks to Woman's Texts
What to know
- St. Johns County sheriff's deputies responded to a June 28 home invasion in St. Augustine after a woman sent 9-1-1 texts about a machete-wielding man threatening to kill her and setting her house on fire.
- When the deputies reached the scene, the woman texted dispatchers to warn them about entering because she feared the suspect would harm her.
- Deputies used a 40mm less-lethal launcher to finally subdue the suspect and take him into custody.
Florida deputies apprehended a machete-wielding man in June after a woman's frantic 9-1-1 texts claimed the suspect was threatening to kill her.
The incident happened shortly before 6:15 p.m. June 28 when the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office received texts from a woman about a home break-in in St. Augustine, the agency stated in a news release. In the texts, the woman said a man armed with a machete allegedly entered her home, threatened to kill her and tried to set her house on fire.
“(He) broke into my house and is threatening to kill me,” she stated in texts the sheriff's office released Monday. “I’m scared he’ll do it before help can get here.”
When deputies reached the scene, dispatchers alerted the woman of their arrival. But the woman cautioned them about how to enter her home.
“Please don’t have them come with their lights on cuz I’m scared he’ll hurt me,” her text stated.
Deputies confronted the suspect—later identified as Justin Troy Locke—and used a 40mm less-lethal launcher to subdue him. Once in custody, Locke was charged with attempted arson, assault, burglary and resisting a law enforcement officer with violence.
"If you have a hearing or speech impairment or are in a life-threatening situation where you are unable to make a voice 911 call, texting provides a silent alternative," the sheriff's office stated. "You should always make a voice call to 911 during an emergency whenever possible: Call if you can, text if you can't."
