‘Oh my God, why aren’t you dead yet?’: Florida man allegedly attacked his sleeping sister with a machete
08/08/2026 1:00 pm PDT
MARGATE, Fla. (TCN) -- A 36-year-old man is behind bars on charges including attempted felony murder after allegedly attacking his sister with a machete while she was asleep next to her 1-year-old daughter.
According to WTVT, Ruben Altidore allegedly attempted to kill his sister on Aug. 3. According to an arrest report obtained by the outlet, the victim, whose name has not been released, was asleep in bed with her toddler daughter when Altidore allegedly repeatedly slashed her with a machete. During the attack, he allegedly said, “Oh my God, why aren’t you dead yet?”
WPLG reports that the victim ran from Altidore; home surveillance footage allegedly showed him chasing her with the machete. She reportedly collapsed after ringing neighbor Luis Pereria’s doorbell.
Pereria told WPLG, “She ran to the middle of the street and then ran to my front door where she was asking for help. … Apparently she was sleeping when this all happened. I was just baffled by it. How can you do that?”
According to WTVT, the toddler was not injured but was covered in blood following the alleged attack. The victim was taken to the hospital, where she was treated for serious injuries including a 10-inch laceration on her thigh that exposed the bone, a laceration to the hand that could lead to the possible amputation of multiple fingers, and a cut on her palm that nearly severed her left thumb.
Altidore was taken into custody and arrested. He was charged with attempted felony murder, aggravated child abuse, and violation of probation, according to WPLG. He is being held without bond.
A motive in the alleged attack has not been released.
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