LARGO, A 29-year-old Largo man was arrested earlier yesterday after police say he violently attacked a woman and put children in danger inside a second-story unit at Seminole Square Apartments. Officers took Anthony Jarrod Bell into custody shortly after 12:30 a.m. yesterday, and he now faces multiple felony counts including attempted felony murder, two counts of kidnapping to commit a felony, aggravated child abuse, child neglect and false imprisonment. Neighbors and bystanders helped get two children to safety by lowering them from a second-story window, and the adult victim was rushed to the hospital.
What investigators say
According to arrest affidavits detailed by IONTB, Bell became convinced that federal agents were outside the apartment and told the victim to check the door. The documents state that once she did, he grabbed her and put her in a chokehold. The affidavits quote Bell as saying, “Everyone’s done for,” and note that he requested an attorney after being advised of his Miranda rights. Police say he then went into a bedroom where children were sleeping, wrapped an arm around one child’s neck and held a kitchen knife to the child’s throat.
Scene, injuries and evidence
When officers arrived, they found the victim outside the building while bystanders rendered aid. Investigators reported seeing blood throughout the living room and kitchen, a blood-covered Farberware kitchen knife on the island, kitchen shears on the floor, a blood-stained window screen and a liquor bottle with blood on its neck, according to IONTB. The victim was taken to Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital in St. Petersburg with a fractured lumbar vertebra, deep puncture wounds and multiple lacerations. The children were seen at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital for bruising and abrasions.
Charges and next steps
Bell was booked into the Pinellas County Jail and is being held on the counts listed in the arrest affidavits. The investigation remains active, and Largo police say detectives are coordinating with medical staff and prosecutors as they work to piece together the sequence of events. Seminole Square is a recently completed 96-unit affordable housing complex on Seminole Boulevard, according to Pinellas County records.
Legal implications
The charges Bell faces carry severe penalties under Florida law. Aggravated child abuse is defined and punished as a serious felony under Florida Statutes §827.03, and kidnapping carries enhanced penalties, particularly when a child is involved, under Florida Statutes §787.01. As is standard, the charges will be evaluated by the state attorney’s office and a court, and those accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
