Bradenton man attacked with hatchet in argument over a broken cellphone, sheriff says

A 32-year-old Lakeland man is charged with attempted murder after deputies say he struck a 28-year-old Bradenton man with a hatchet in an argument over a cellphone and other items, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Monday.

Jaquan Marquis Sykes was arrested and charged in the attack during a traffic stop in Bradenton on Saturday night.

Deputies had been searching for Sykes for more than a week, the release said.

The argument happened around 12:52 a.m. Dec. 30 in the 100 block of 44th Avenue West, according to the sheriff’s office.

Deputies say Sykes got into an argument with the 28-year-old man and then struck him with a blunt object and a hatchet “while making homicidal statements.”

“Following his arrest, Sykes, who is known as ‘Quan,’ told detectives he was upset about a broken cellphone and personal property he claims had been stolen from him,” the release said.

The attack left the Bradenton man with serious injuries to his arms, torso and head, the sheriff’s office said.

He was admitted to HCA Florida Blake Hospital and is expected to recover.

Sykes is charged with one count of non-premeditated attempted murder and one count of felony criminal mischief, jail records show. As of Monday afternoon, he was held at the Manatee County Jail in lieu of $101,500 bond.

An investigation is ongoing.

This story was originally published January 9, 2023 at 12:18 PM.