The family of a 13-year-old boy, who survived a life-threatening throat slash on a Daytona Beach boardwalk on Valentine’s Day, is expressing their anger upon discovering that the suspect had been released from prison shortly before the incident, despite his extensive criminal history.
Jermaine Lynn Long, a registered sex offender, was set free just four days prior to the unprovoked attack on Sullivan Clark, as per prison records.
Long faced pending charges for an incident in January where he is alleged to have assaulted two men with a knife and an 8-foot pole. Yet, prosecutors chose not to pursue any charges in that case, according to local reports.
He’s also believed to have attacked another man with a sledgehammer about 20 minutes before the incident with Sullivan.
“This is completely unacceptable. How is it even possible that he was released just four days ago? If he’d been arrested on that day, my son could have been saved, and we wouldn’t be sitting here,” Jared Clark, Sullivan’s father, told a news program.
Long, a registered sex offender in Nebraska, has a history of convictions, including sexual assault of a minor, petty theft, and drug possession.
Sullivan was on a phone call with his parents when he was attacked.
“Out of nowhere, he came up behind me with what looked like a box cutter and slashed at my neck… I was lucky to have my head turned at the time,” Sullivan recounted, indicating the area around his neck. “He just missed the front and, thankfully, my carotid artery as well.”
Doctors informed the family that if the cut had been even a millimeter deeper, the outcome could have been fatal. Sullivan received 13 stitches.
Currently, Long faces two charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and is being held on a $50,000 bond, according to the Volusia County Jail records.
Lori Clark, Sullivan’s mother, urged law enforcement to take stronger action. “It’s just shocking that he was on the street. He’s slipped through the cracks so many times… the state of Florida can do better, and we need to ensure this predator is dealt with properly.”
She mentioned that Sullivan has been experiencing nightmares since the assault, and their 11-year-old son, who witnessed the attack, may also be struggling with trauma from the event.
