Family Outrage Over Attack on Son
The family of a 13-year-old boy, who survived a serious throat injury in Daytona Beach on Valentine’s Day, is expressing their anger after it was revealed that the suspect had a long criminal history but was still on the streets.
Jermaine Lynn Long, a registered sex offender, was released from custody just four days before the attack on Sullivan Clark. Reports indicate that he faced pending charges from an incident in January, where he allegedly assaulted two men with a knife and a lengthy pole.
Local reports suggest that prosecutors chose not to pursue those charges. Additionally, just before Sullivan was attacked, Long is believed to have assaulted another man with a sledgehammer.
“This is completely unacceptable,” Jared Clark, Sullivan’s father, said during an interview. “I can’t wrap my head around the fact that he was released so recently. It’s frustrating to think that he could’ve been arrested and my son wouldn’t be in this situation.”
Long, with a history of sexual offenses against minors, has also been convicted for petty theft and drug offenses.
At the time of the attack, Sullivan was walking and conversing with his parents on the phone. He recounted that Long approached him unexpectedly, brandishing what seemed to be a box cutter. “I just happened to have my head turned, so he missed a critical part of my throat,” Sullivan explained, noting that if the wound had been slightly deeper, the outcome could have been tragic. He needed 13 stitches to close the wound.
Long now faces two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and is currently held on a $50,000 bond, according to jail records.
Sullivan’s mother, Lori Clark, urged law enforcement to take more decisive action. “It’s alarming that he was out there. He has evaded serious consequences for far too long. Florida needs to do better to protect its citizens,” she stated.
She also mentioned that Sullivan has been having nightmares since the incident and expressed concern for his younger brother, who witnessed the attack and may be dealing with trauma.
