{"id":182590,"date":"2026-02-18T06:59:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T06:59:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/182590\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T06:59:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T06:59:08","slug":"family-seeks-answers-after-sons-neck-slashed-in-daytona-beach-by-man-recently-released-from-jail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/182590\/","title":{"rendered":"Family seeks answers after son\u2019s neck slashed in Daytona Beach by man recently released from jail"},"content":{"rendered":"

Police say a 13-year-old boy was randomly attacked and had his throat slashed near the Slingshot ride on the Daytona Beach boardwalk over the weekend. \u2013 Police say a 13-year-old boy was randomly attacked<\/a> and had his throat slashed near the Slingshot ride on the Daytona Beach boardwalk over the weekend.<\/p>\n

The man accused of this horrifying attack, Jermaine Long, faced a judge Tuesday. Long is being held without bond in jail \u2014 exactly what the victim\u2019s family pushed for after learning about his criminal past.<\/p>\n

The boy\u2019s mother, Lori Clarke, reached out to News 6 on Monday. <\/p>\n

[LISTEN TO THE 911 CALL IN ATTACK BELOW]<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a ton of people around. Tons of people at the Slingshot. It was well-lit. We felt safe,\u201d Lori said.<\/p>\n

What was supposed to be a fun annual trip to Daytona for the 500 took a sharp turn for the worse.<\/p>\n

Lori and Jerod Clarke said Saturday night their family was walking by the Slingshot ride and stopped to watch it.<\/p>\n

Out of nowhere, they say Jermaine Long quickly walked up to Sullivan.<\/p>\n

[RELATED VIDEO: Man lacerated child\u2019s neck in Daytona Beach, police say]<\/p>\n

\u201cHe walked up and made this motion and so I thought he was stealing the phone and I yelled at him and ran after him and when I turned around I realized no, my son was cut,\u201d Lori said.<\/p>\n

Sullivan\u2019s neck was slashed. He was rushed to the hospital, where he received 13 stitches.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne more millimeter and he probably wouldn\u2019t have made it,\u201d Lori said.<\/p>\n

Long was caught by police a street over. Video shared with News 6 shows his arrest.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and faced a judge for a second first appearance on Tuesday – this time the judge said they would be holding him without bond. <\/p>\n

Long is a registered sex offender with a lengthy criminal history in Volusia County.<\/p>\n

Most recently, he was arrested in January for allegedly trying to hurt two men with a knife and then hitting them with a large pole.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors dropped those charges, and Long was released from jail just four days before the incident with the Clarke family.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe definitely won\u2019t be going back to the beach for a very long time in Daytona,\u201d Lori said.<\/p>\n

As for the family trip, the Clarkes said they gave Sullivan the option to still go to the 500 on Sunday.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis neck was hurting but he really wanted to go so we tried to keep things as normal as possible as I said \u2018let\u2019s go,\u2019\u201d Jerod said.<\/p>\n

Sullivan Clarke also spoke with News 6 about the moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was on the phone at the time \u2026 and some crazy dude comes up behind me, and he tries to cut my throat,\u201d Clarke said.<\/p>\n

Clarke said the man ran away immediately, and he never saw his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen he just ran, and I didn\u2019t even see him. I didn\u2019t know what he looked like or anything,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Investigators said Long has refused to give any motive for the attack. News 6 is pushing for answers about his prior release in January.<\/p>\n

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