Early Saturday morning, July 20, around 2:15 am, Hernando County deputies responded to a call about an injured person on Treehaven Drive in Spring Hill. A neighbor said a man was knocking on their door. They looked out the window and they saw a man with with a severe facial wound.
When they arrived, emergency crews rushed the victim to the hospital for treatment. Before being transported, the victim told deputies he had been at a nearby home on Treehaven Drive to visit a female resident when the homeowner, Steven Slattery, accused him and others of stealing money and drugs. The victim remembered Slattery saying he was “not being afraid to go back to prison” and was willing to kill someone.
When the victim attempted to calm Slattery down, he allegedly cut the victim’s face with a knife. The victim managed to escape and seek help from a neighbor. Slattery fled the scene and remains at large.
Detectives have issued an arrest warrant for Slattery on charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is urged to contact the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office or Hernando County Crime Stoppers.
The victim is expected to recover from his injuries.
