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On Tuesday, May 23, 32-year-old Florida man Omar Gutierrez allegedly donned a cat costume and stabbed his roommate. According to Yahoo, the incident occurred at approximately 5:45 pm. Gutierrez was arrested by Alachua County Sheriff’s Office personnel and charged with one count of attempted murder. The stabbing victim, whose name has not been released, was treated for his wounds at a local hospital.
Trigger warning: This article concerns a brutal knife assault, the reader's discretion is advised
The stabbing currently remains under investigation by Florida authorities. The police have not disclosed any potential motive behind the stabbing or a reason as to why Omar Gutierrez was wearing a cat costume. The suspect is being held at the Alachua County jail on a $1 million bond.
A breakdown of the recorded evidence against Omar Gutierrez
In the footage of the aftermath of the Florida stabbing, police officers can be seen in position outside of Omar Gutierrez's house, demanding that he vacate the premises. Captain Chris Sims explained that after receiving no response, two deputies forced entry into the home.
Officers repeatedly call out the suspect's name before going deeper into the home. Omar Gutierrez eventually came out of a room with his hands up. The officers noted the cat costume that he was wearing at the time of his arrest.. He was taken into custody without further incident.
Captain Chris Sims said:
"They stopped at nothing to ensure that the victim was treated and the suspect in this incident was apprehended."
As reported by Law&Crime, the charge of attempted murder can be prosecuted as a first-degree felony in Florida, resulting in a maximum sentence of life in prison. If Omar Gutierrez faces a second-degree felony attempted murder charge, he could face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Oscar Gutierrez has not disclosed what happened in the moments leading up to the incident.
Violent crime rates in Florida
While footage of Omar Gutierrez's arrest has gone viral, the state of Florida is, unfortunately, no stranger to violent assaults. According to Safewise, the state has a violent crime rate of 3.8 incidents per 1,000. The most frequently reported violent crime was aggravated assault.
The Tampa Bay Times reported that despite this, Florida had seen a decline in overall crime rates. A 50-year low in crime rates was recorded in 2021, with decreases in both violent and property crime. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement noted that, in comparison to 2020, 2021 saw an 8.3% decrease. This included a 4.3% drop in violent crime and a 10.7% drop in property crime.
As reported by Axios, many crimes in Florida are driven by untreated mental health cases. The Sun Sentinel Investigation revealed that people with unaddressed mental illness were responsible for the murders of at least 500 friends or family members between 2000 and 2016.
The case against Oscar Gutierrez is currently ongoing. It is unknown whether he had any history of mental illness.
