Bodycam: Fla. Deputies Stop Machete-Wielding Home Invader Thanks to Woman's Texts

A woman's 9-1-1 texts helped St. Johns County sheriff's deputies stop a man with a machete who allegedly threatened to kill the woman and tried to set her house on fire.

Joe Vince

Aug. 5, 2025

2 min read

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."

About the Author

Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.