A man has been taken into custody in connection with a violent confrontation leading to a stabbing at Millenia Mall in Orlando. This incident ended when an armed bystander intervened. The Orlando Police Department reports that the altercation took place on Monday night at around 10:40 p.m. in the mall's parking lot. ClickOrlando detailed the arrival of officers finding a woman with an array of lacerations, including stab, slash, and cut wounds.
The suspect, identified as 41-year-old Alinton John, reportedly engaged in a dispute with the victim, a woman with whom he was in a dating relationship that had allegedly deteriorated. Surveillance footage indicates the two arrived at the scene together before entering John’s Tesla. The victim was later seen running toward the mall entrance, screaming for help. Bystanders intervened, including a witness who drew his gun and aimed it at John, prompting the suspect to flee the scene. "The problem is with her, not you," John purportedly said to the witness upon being confronted, according to ClickOrlando.
According to the FOX 35 Orlando coverage, after the incident, John was detained following a brief foot pursuit in Longwood, Florida. Witnesses to the event recounted hearing the victim’s cries for assistance, and one bystander's decision to pull his concealed firearm played a pivotal role in halting the assault.
Orlando police have charged John with resisting an officer without violence, aggravated assault, and attempted murder. Following the arrest, he was booked into the Seminole County Jail, where he is currently being held without bond.
