83-Year-Old Man Stabs Apartment Manager in Dispute
An unsettling video has surfaced showing an 83-year-old man from Florida attacking a worker outside his senior living apartment over a disagreement about a failed inspection.
John Gras faces two counts of attempted murder after allegedly stabbing Amelia Sora Ortiz, the real estate manager of Rebecca Towers in Miami Beach, on August 4.
Authorities arrived to find Ortiz unresponsive on the ground, while Gras was discovered bleeding heavily from his head and chest, hiding in his girlfriend’s apartment.
According to Ortiz, he was stabbed in the torso and suffered a laceration to the back of his head during the altercation. The confrontation reportedly stemmed from a recent inspection failure and concerns about Gras’s living conditions.
Surveillance footage captured Gras speaking with Ortiz and his girlfriend, Rocinda Arerana, in the hallway just before things escalated. It appears he dropped something, pulled out a folding knife, and then attacked Ortiz.
Following the stabbing, both men retreated down the hall, where Ortiz managed to disarm Gras. However, he sustained considerable injuries to his chest and head.
Gras attempted to attack Ortiz again with a second knife but was restrained by Arerana. Ortiz sought to flee, but Gras held him back while Arerana tried to separate them.
Bleeding heavily, Ortiz made his way to another apartment in the 13-story building, where he collapsed and called for help. A witness reported hearing his distress.
After first responders arrived, they rushed Ortiz to Ryder Trauma Hospital for treatment. Meanwhile, Gras took the elevator down to the seventh floor and entered Arerana’s apartment.
Police utilized surveillance footage to track Gras and found the couple in the bathroom with bloodied footwear.
Gras now faces charges of attempted murder with a deadly weapon. Following his arrest, he has opted to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights and has not cooperated with investigators.
Currently, Gras is held at the Metrowest Detention Center in Doral, Florida, without bail, with a court appearance set for November 20.
Miami Beach Police Department spokesperson Christopher Beth noted that this incident seems to stem from a property dispute, which regrettably escalated to violence.
