Police arrested a 44-year-old man and said the motive remains unclear.
DAYTONA BEACH, FL — A 13-year-old boy on a family trip to the Daytona 500 survived after a stranger slashed his neck on the Daytona Beach boardwalk late Valentine’s Day, police said, and a 44-year-old man was jailed without bond while investigators worked to learn why the attack happened.
The boy, Sullivan Clarke of Delray Beach, needed 13 stitches and narrowly avoided a life-threatening injury, his parents said. Daytona Beach police arrested Jermaine Lynn Long, 44, after the attack and charged him with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, court records show. The case has drawn fresh scrutiny to safety along a crowded tourist corridor that was packed with race-weekend visitors, while authorities said they are still trying to determine whether Long targeted the teen at random or acted with a specific motive.
The attack happened around 10 p.m. Sat., Feb. 14, as the Clarkes walked along the oceanfront near the boardwalk, headed back to their hotel after a day in Daytona Beach for race week. Lori Clarke said her son was a few steps ahead of his parents, looking down at his phone near the area by the Slingshot ride, when she noticed a man approaching with what she described as a “strange look in his eyes.” She first thought the man was going to grab the phone, but she said the stranger instead made a quick motion and cut her son’s neck. “I thought he was stealing Sully’s phone,” she said in an interview afterward. Her husband, Jerod Clarke, said the moment turned chaotic when he saw blood and realized how deep the wound was. “It was crazy. I mean, I saw my son’s neck totally gashed open,” he said.
Daytona Beach police said officers responded within minutes and found the teen injured near South Atlantic Avenue and the boardwalk area just south of Main Street, a stretch lined with hotels, bars and attractions. Investigators said witnesses, including the boy’s parents, described a man walking up to the teen and cutting him with an edged weapon before moving away. Police said they located Long nearby and took him into custody. Paramedics transported the boy to a hospital, where doctors stitched the wound and told the family the cut came close to a major artery. Jerod Clarke said a doctor told them the injury could have been fatal if it had been slightly deeper, and he said his son survived by a fraction of an inch. Police have not released the type of blade they believe was used, and they have not said whether they recovered a weapon.
The family said the attack appeared unprovoked and lasted only seconds. Sullivan Clarke told a local television station that he turned his head as he looked up at the ride at the same moment the blade came toward him, and he believes that movement helped spare his life. His parents said their son was shaken but alert and able to speak after the attack. In interviews, they described trying to stop the bleeding while calling for help and flagged down assistance as crowds moved along the boardwalk. The family later returned home to Delray Beach, where they said Sullivan is recovering and focusing on healing. Despite the trauma, his parents said he still wanted to attend the Daytona 500 events during the weekend, even as they worried about his safety and tried to process what happened.
Long remained in the Volusia County Branch Jail with no bond as of this week, records show, and he appeared in court Feb. 17. Authorities have not detailed a motive, and police have not said whether Long knew the teen or the family. Investigators said they are reviewing witness statements and available video from the area, where businesses and attractions often have surveillance cameras. The case also drew attention because of what police and court documents said happened earlier the same day. News reports, citing police records, said officers had questioned Long after a separate incident in Daytona Beach in which a man reported being chased and struck with a sledgehammer. In that earlier encounter, police issued a trespass warning and released him, reports said. After the throat-slashing arrest, the Clarkes said they learned Long is a registered sex offender with a criminal history that includes drug and battery cases, and they said they want him kept behind bars.
The attack unfolded during one of the city’s busiest stretches of the year, when NASCAR fans and vacationers fill hotels along the beach. Daytona Beach’s boardwalk area, centered near Main Street, draws large nighttime crowds to restaurants, arcades and thrill rides, and police typically increase patrols during major events. Local officials have not announced any immediate policy changes tied to the case, but the incident has prompted questions about how quickly police can identify and intervene with people who display violent behavior in public spaces. The Clarkes said the randomness of the attack left them stunned, because they were walking together in a busy area they believed was safe. “It was absolutely horrifying,” Lori Clarke said. Jerod Clarke said he wants accountability and said he fears the suspect could hurt someone else if released. “I want him locked up,” he said.
Long faces a felony charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and prosecutors have not publicly outlined whether additional charges could follow as detectives complete their investigation. Police have not released a probable cause affidavit in full, and they have not said whether they plan to seek enhanced penalties based on the nature of the injury or any prior history. Court records available this week did not indicate a plea, and it was not immediately clear whether Long had retained an attorney. Authorities said they will continue gathering evidence, including medical information and any available footage, and may present the case for further review as it moves through the court process. No future hearing date was immediately announced in public reports, but Long’s detention status remained unchanged after his initial court appearance.
In the days after the attack, the Clarkes described small moments that made the injury feel even closer to tragedy: the short walk back to the hotel, the crowded boardwalk, and the speed of the strike. Jerod Clarke said the sight of the wound is hard to forget, and he said the family has leaned on relatives and friends since returning home. Sullivan Clarke’s parents said their son has asked questions about why it happened, and they said they do not have answers yet. They also said they are grateful for the first responders and medical staff who treated him quickly, and they said their focus now is on recovery and on the case moving forward. The teen’s stitches and bandages will come off in stages, and his parents said they expect follow-up appointments as doctors monitor healing.
Police said the investigation remains open as Long stays jailed without bond, and detectives continue reviewing records and evidence tied to the Feb. 14 attack. The next major milestone in the case is expected to be the filing of formal court documents and scheduling of additional hearings as prosecutors decide how to proceed.
Author note: Last updated February 19, 2026.