A Florida man is accused of inviting his landlord over for dinner, then viciously attacking her and driving his vehicle into their shared home.
Brian Thomas Leach, 69, has been charged with attempted murder, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office announced on Thursday. He is being held at the Martin County Jail.
On Tuesday night, deputies were called to a home on the 1000 block of Northeast Ocean View Circle in Jensen Beach, which is about 100 miles north of Miami. Police said when they arrived at the house, they discovered a “violent and disturbing” situation.
Deputies reported that Leach, who rents the lower level of the house, had invited his landlord, who lives on the upper level, over for dinner.
“After luring the victim downstairs under the pretence of dinner, Leach viciously beat her, then crashed his vehicle into the home in an apparent fit of rage,” the sheriff’s office wrote on social media in its summary of events. The crash caused “substantial structural damage.”
The unnamed victim sustained “severe injuries.” The sheriff’s office shared photos of a bloodied Toyota RAV4, damage to what appeared to be the side of the house, and drops of blood on the floor of an interior hallway.
According to the sheriff’s office, Leach was arrested at his home after “slashing his own arms with a knife.” He was transported to a nearby hospital under law enforcement supervision.
According to local outlet WPTV, investigators believe Leach was angry because the landlord proposed eviction.
Law enforcement provided video footage of his release from the hospital and transportation to the local jail. He was barefoot and limping, appearing dazed.
