A 36-year-old Florida man is being held without bail after allegedly attacking his sleeping sister with a machete while her infant child was in the bed next to her.
Ruben Altidor was arrested Monday by officers with the Margate Police Department and faces charges of attempted murder and aggravated child abuse, according to an arrest report obtained by WPLG. He is currently booked at the Broward County Main Jail.
Police responded to a Margate residence following reports of a disturbance and heard a woman screaming from inside the home. Upon arrival, officers saw the victim run outside, reporting that someone was attempting to kill her. A cousin at the scene identified the suspect as the victim’s brother, Ruben Altidor.
The victim suffered extensive injuries, including deep lacerations to her legs and hands, a 10-inch thigh wound that exposed bone, several severed fingers, and a 4-inch cut on the back of her hand.
While en route to the hospital, the victim told officers that Altidor repeatedly struck her with a machete and allegedly said, “Oh my God, why aren’t you dead yet?”
Investigating officers located a trail of blood leading from a bedroom, through the hallway, and out of the residence. A machete sheath was discovered in the kitchen, and the suspected weapon was retrieved from under a bed in a separate room.
The victim’s 1-year-old daughter was in the bed during the attack but did not sustain injuries.
Altidor was taken into custody at the residence. In addition to the new charges, jail records show he faces a probation violation stemming from a prior aggravated battery case. Court dates have not yet been posted.
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