A brutal attack in Miami-Dade County has left a woman and her 11-year-old son severely injured after the mother's boyfriend allegedly stabbed her multiple times and attempted to strangle the child. Demar Turruellas, 24, was arrested on charges including attempted first-degree murder with a deadly weapon and aggravated child abuse, according to NBC Miami.
The incident occurred on Dec. 16 at the Fair Oaks Apartments, where Turruellas' girlfriend was found with "several deep lacerations on both sides of her neck and face, a laceration to her left eye and a partial severing of her left ear," as per police reports. The woman's son presented with bruises on his neck and blood in his eyes, consistent with being strangled, and a puncture wound to the top of his head. Following this savage attack, both victims were rushed to Jackson South Medical Center for treatment, their condition necessitated extensive surgery for the mother to repair damage to her arteries. Turruellas, freshly released from prison in March 2023 after serving time for an unrelated 2018 killing, is now back in police custody, being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, according to Local 10 News.
The altercation began with a verbal dispute in the kitchen that escalated when Turruellas grabbed a knife and started stabbing his girlfriend. During the scuffle, the woman's son tried to intervene, which led Turruellas to knock him down and commence strangulation. "I'm going to kill your son," Turruellas allegedly told his girlfriend during the attack. As reported by Local 10 News, the boy feigned death in a desperate attempt to stop the assault and later mustered the strength to run for help.
Detectives were given a harrowing recount of the night's events by the victims, with the son disclosing the sharp pain he felt and the survival tactic he employed. "The 11-year-old stated that he pretended to be dead in the hopes the defendant would stop harming him," detailed the arrest report obtained by NBC Miami. The mother eventually escaped and sought help, which subsequently led to the arrival of the police and Turruellas' capture when he appeared at a probation and parole office.
The community and local authorities are now grappling with the reality of a man once convicted of being part of the 2018 murder of 63-year-old Evelio Federico Gainza, slipping through the cracks and reoffending. Turruellas had been out on the streets for less than a year before this latest violent outbreak, raising critical questions about the processes that allowed for his early release and eventual freedom to harm again.
