MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A 32-year-old wanted on an attempted murder charge was arrested Sunday, roughly one week after authorities said he attacked a man with a hatchet during a dispute over a cell phone.
According to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, 32-year-old Jaquan Sykes and another man got into an argument over a cell phone in the early morning hours of Dec. 30. During the argument, authorities said Sykes struck the other man with a blunt object and a hatchet while making “homicidal statements.”
The victim was rushed to Blake Hospital with serious injuries to his arms, torso, and head. He is expected to recover.
While Sykes managed to elude capture for about a week, the sheriff’s office said he was spotted driving on 1st Street West Saturday around 8:20 p.m. Deputies then performed a traffic stop and arrested Sykes for attempted murder.
Following his arrest, Sykes told detectives he was upset about a broken cell phone and other items he claimed were stolen from him.
An investigation remains ongoing.
