CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. (WFLA) – A 47-year-old convicted felon is in trouble with the law again following his arrest Saturday on four counts of aggravated battery.
John Paul Boutiette was booked into the Citrus County Jail where he is being held without bond.
According to a Citrus County Sheriff’s Office report the suspect got into an argument with several teenage boys at the ‘Round Pond,’ location in Crystal River. Investigators say Boutiette appeared just before 4am while the juveniles were just hanging out.
Shortly after the dispute began, the suspect grabbed a knife and stabbed three males – ages 19, 19 and 23. A fourth young man, a 17-year-old Citrus High School student, was standing a short distance away from the scuffle when Boutiette went after him, stabbing him as well.
The suspect then drove away in his Jeep. Emergency service personnel were dispatched to the scene where three of the victims were treated and released. The youngest was transported to a medical facility in Marion County.
Investigators say his injuries are not life-threatening. As Boutiette was fleeing, someone fired several shots in his direction. His Jeep was hit and he was grazed by one of the bullets.
The suspect was treated at the scene and arrested. Boutiette is no stranger to law enforcement with an extensive arrest record in Citrus County. He served four years in state prison following his 2010 conviction on battery and fleeing to elude charges.
The investigation continues.
