ORANGE CITY, Fla. – A 15-year-old boy’s face was slashed Saturday in an apparent random attack in Orange City, according to a police report.
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Orange City police said the incident was reported around 2 p.m. in the 200 block East Graves Avenue.
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The teen’s father, Michael Benson, said his son was heading back to his home from Mill Lake Park when the attack happened.
Police said the teen suffered a 6-to 8-inch-long laceration on the right side of his face. The cut was about 1 inch deep, police said. The boy was taken to Central Florida Regional Hospital for treatment.
According to the police report, the teen said he was walking home when an unknown man approached him and stabbed him in the face without saying a word. The teen said he didn’t know the man, who ran off, according to the report.
First responders said they saw an SUV speeding away from the area, but it’s not known if the vehicle was connected to the stabbing, police said.
The teen’s father told News 6 he’s happy his son is going to be OK and that’s he’s home now recovering from the hospital.
“I could be picking out a casket for my son today, but thank God I’m not,” Benson said.
Benson told News 6 his son will continue doing school virtually as he continues to recover.
According to police, video from a nearby dental office showed the boy holding his face, but no one else was spotted in the area.
Orange City police are encouraging nearby residents to check their cameras for any possible video from at or around 2 p.m. Saturday.
“It’s definitely something we want to see an end put to,” Sgt. Sherif El-Shami said.
Police said they’re also adding patrols in the area.
No other details, including a detailed description of the assailant, have been released.
Officials said investigators searched wooded areas and police K-9s assisted in the search and no evidence of the suspect was found.
If you know anything or can help investigators make an arrest, you’re asked to call the Orange City Police Department.