HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – A late-night argument in the middle of a Seffner road ended in a stabbing and a short-lived manhunt through the woods early Sunday morning.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the incident unfolded on June 21, 2026, at around 12:45 a.m. Deputies reported that 19-year-old Drake Purcell got into an argument with another person in the roadway near the intersection of South Kingsway Road and Magnolia Avenue. The dispute quickly escalated, and Purcell stabbed the victim.
The victim was rushed to a local hospital with injuries that authorities described as non-life-threatening.
Immediately after the stabbing, Purcell took off on foot, running into a nearby wooded area to escape. However, he did not stay hidden for long. The sheriff’s office deployed its Aviation Unit to search the dark canopy from above.
Caught From The Sky: Chopper Tracks Teen Who Fled Into The Woods After Seffner Stabbing pic.twitter.com/v6fJ5CPpng
— Tampa Free Press (@tampafreepress) June 23, 2026
The flight crew quickly spotted Purcell in the brush and guided ground units directly to his location, where deputies took him into custody without further incident.
Purcell was arrested and booked on charges of Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Battery. While processing his arrest, investigators also discovered that the teenager had several outstanding warrants from other counties.
READ: “She Pointed A Gun At Me”: Florida Parents Cuffed After Alleged Driveway Ambush Of Teen
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