Man attacks his boyfriend with machete and knife in fight over texts, Florida cops say

A couple’s late-night quarrel turned violent when an enraged man slashed his boyfriend’s face with a machete, then stabbed him with a kitchen knife, according to Florida investigators.

The victim survived by escaping to a neighbor’s home and was hospitalized for a series of serious injuries that included facial fractures, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Investigators say the initial 911 call came around 11 pm. on Monday, March 11, from a home in Brooksville, about a 50-mile drive north from Tampa.

“An individual ... stated that his boyfriend stabbed him in the face and arms with a machete and was chasing him. Minutes later deputies arrived on scene to find the male victim, outside of a neighboring residence, covered in what appeared to be blood, with a large laceration to the left side of his face,” the sheriff’s office said.

“The victim advised (his boyfriend) had gained access to his digital devices and was spying on his text messages and that’s when he was confronted about doing so. (His boyfriend) went into another room, retrieved a large machete and swung it, hitting him in the face. The victim said he grabbed the blade to prevent being hit with it again.”

That prompted the suspect, Douglas Albert Fullerton, 24, to grab a knife from the kitchen and stab the victim in his back as he ran, officials said.

“The victim was eventually able to flee the residence, but Fullerton was close by and began chasing him,” officials said.

“When (the victim) reached a neighboring residence, he noticed Fullerton was no longer in sight. He was able to stay on the neighboring property until help arrived.”

He was hospitalized with “a deep laceration to his face, fractures to his facial bones, and minor cuts to his hands and back,” officials said.

Fullerton, who was out of jail on probation, was overheard yelling during one 911 call, including a demand that the victim report his injuries as “an accident.” He was also heard saying: “I don’t wanna go back to jail,” officials said.

He fled the home and eluded deputies for nearly a day before being found March 12 and arrested on a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, officials said. He was also wanted on “for violation of probation for possession of a controlled substance,” officials said.

This story was originally published March 13, 2024 at 12:32 PM with the headline "Man attacks his boyfriend with machete and knife in fight over texts, Florida cops say."