DAVENPORT, Fla. — A Central Florida convenience store clerk slipped and fell as she was stabbed on Monday, suffering nine wounds as she attempted to avoid the attacker, authorities said.
The woman, who works at a RaceTrac in Davenport, was stabbed from behind at about 4:40 a.m. EDT while she was preparing to stock shelves, according to a Facebook post from the Davenport Police Department. The woman, whose name has not been released, was “repeatedly” stabbed in the back and side.
Police said the suspect, identified as Marc Caseaf Tucker, 29, continued to stab the woman after she ran down an aisle and slipped.
“At one point, she’s running down the aisle and she slips and falls,” Davenport police Chief Steve Parker told WFLA-TV. “He gets on top of her, not necessarily straddling her but gets on top of her, and starts stabbing her more. We determined he got her like four times in the chest at that point.”
The woman was able to fight off the attacker, and Tucker allegedly ran out of the store and into some nearby woods, according to WFTS-TV.
She was taken to an area hospital and is expected to survive her injuries, according to the television station.
Tucker was arrested after he emerged from the wooded area, police said. He was charged with attempted first-degree murder, police said.
The woman’s co-workers did not see the attack, but it was caught on the store’s surveillance camera. The workers heard the victim’s screams and tended to her until first responders arrived, WFLA reported.
“This was simply an unprovoked, random attack for no apparent reason other than the suspect, Marc Tucker, committing an evil act,” Parker said in a statement posted on the police department’s Facebook page. “The fact that the store clerk resisted and fought her attacker certainly facilitated her survival. We are praying for a quick recovery of the store clerk, and will do all we can to ensure Mr. Tucker is held accountable for his senseless actions.”
In a statement, a RaceTrac spokesperson said the company was “saddened by this unprovoked act of violence.”
“Given the 24-hour nature of our business, the safety of our team members and guests is at the forefront of every decision we make,” the spokesperson said. “We are constantly evaluating our store environment, safety protocols and training to minimize the likelihood of these events occurring.”
