A Florida man is accused of attacking his sleeping sister with a machete, narrowly missing her 1-year-old daughter who was lying beside her in bed. The assault occurred Monday in Margate, a city approximately 40 miles north of Miami.
Ruben Altidore, 36, allegedly repeatedly struck his sister with the weapon, shouting, "Oh my God, why aren’t you dead yet?" according to an arrest report cited by WPLG.
Altidore was arrested the same day and faces charges including attempted felony murder, aggravated child abuse, and violation of probation, according to jail records. He is being held without bond at the Broward County Main Jail.
The victim survived the attack but sustained severe injuries. Investigators detailed a 10-inch laceration on the back of her right thigh that reached the bone, a four-inch wound on her right hand that may result in the amputation of several fingers, and injuries to her left index finger and thumb.
The infant daughter was found covered in blood following the attack but was not physically harmed. The woman managed to escape the bedroom and sought help from a neighbor.
Home surveillance video captured the victim's screams as she fled the home. A neighbor reported hearing the commotion and seeing the woman seeking assistance. "She ran to the middle of the street and then ran to my front door where she was asking for help," neighbor Luis Pereria told WPLG. "Apparently she was sleeping when this all happened. I was just baffled by it. How can you do that?"
Investigators discovered a large amount of blood inside the bedroom, which led into the hallway and outside the residence. A machete sheath was found in the kitchen, and a machete with apparent "red smudges" was located under a bed.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear, according to authorities.