A man is facing charges of attempted murder and aggravated battery after he allegedly confronted and stabbed his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend near a Florida park, according to authorities.
The violent altercation between William Tyler Warren and the 39-year-old victim unfolded the evening of Friday, March 7, near Veterans Memorial Park in The Villages, a community in Lady Lake, the Lady Lake Police Department said in a Monday, March 9, news release.
Warren’s girlfriend, 37, had been with her ex-boyfriend on a golf cart when Warren, 39, arrived on another golf cart and confronted the pair, according to authorities, WESH reported.
“I’m going to [expletive] kill you,” Warren told his girlfriend’s ex, according to an arrest report obtained by the TV station.
Then, Warren and the man stepped out of the golf carts and started fighting, the report says, according to the TV station.
Warren stabbed the man, who needed treatment for “life threatening” stab wounds, police said.
After receiving initial treatment at a local hospital, the man was airlifted to UF Health Shands in Gainesville for emergency surgery, according to police. He ultimately survived his injuries.
The woman later told authorities that Warren was abusive and that she told her ex-boyfriend to visit her from Georgia before he came to Lady Lake, according to an arrest report obtained by WESH. She allegedly wanted her ex-boyfriend to help her leave her home.
In the news release, police said the woman, who they described as “a female acquaintance,” had recently moved with Warren to Lady Lake from Georgia.
Warren was arrested by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office in connection with the fight that almost turned deadly, according to police.
After Warren was booked at the Marion County Jail, police said he “admitted his involvement in the incident.”
It was not immediately clear whether Warren hired an attorney who could comment on his behalf or whether he entered a plea as of Tuesday, March 10.
“This was a violent incident that left the victim with serious injuries,” Lady Lake Police Chief Steve Hunt said in a statement. “Our officers and detectives moved quickly to investigate the case and worked with our law enforcement partners to locate the suspect.”
While speaking with WESH, Hunt said that the victim had “significant stab wounds” to his stomach.
According to police, Warren’s girlfriend was also arrested in connection with a warrant issued from Georgia. Authorities did not specify what she is charged with.
It was unclear whether the woman, whose name was not mentioned in the news release, had legal representation as of March 10.
