A 10-year-old boy is alive after hiding in the bathroom of his home and calling 911 as an intruder beat three of his family members with a baseball bat, killing two of them and seriously wounding the third, police said.
The incident occurred around 11 p.m. on Thursday when an emergency dispatcher received a call from the boy, who reported that his home inside a gated community in Windermere, Florida, was being burglarized, according to a statement from the Windermere Police Department.
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Authorities said the child hid in the bathroom as the suspect, identified as Ezekiel Emanuel Hopkins, attacked the boy’s family members.
The boy’s grandfather John Savey, grandmother Lisa Savey, and uncle James Savey were all beaten with a baseball bat in the attack, according to police.
Ezekiel Emanuel Hopkins
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Officers from the Windermere Police Department, the Ocoee Police Department, Oakland Police Department, and deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene, where hostage negotiators began communicating with Hopkins through a closed-door before making entry into the residence.
Police said officers found Hopkins, who was unresponsive after appearing to have drunk bleach, in another bathroom. Hopkins was arrested and taken to Health Central Hospital.
The grandfather and the uncle died at the scene, according to authorities. The grandmother survived the attack and was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.
Upon further investigation, police found that Hopkins had driven his car through the subdivision gate and allegedly crashed it into some bushes next to the home.
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During a press conference on Friday, Chief David Ogden said that Hopkins tried to steal a pickup truck from the residence following the crash and one of the homeowners confronted him.
According to Ogden, Hopkins was allegedly involved in a physical altercation with one of the male victims outside the home, before going inside to attack the other two.
The child was unharmed in the incident, according to police.
Ogden said during the press conference that he does not believe the family was specifically targeted.
“It’s a horrific situation,” he added. “Our hearts go out to this family.”
An investigation is ongoing.
According to online jail records, Hopkins was booked on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery on Friday. It is unclear if Hopkins has legal representation at this time.
source:https://designssalad.com/