Man Gets 45 Years After Attacking Teen on Family Trip

A Family Visit Ends in a Sentencing Hearing

A teenager visiting Daytona Beach with his family survived an unprovoked boardwalk attack. Eight months later, the man who attacked him has received a 45-year prison sentence, while the family continues asking questions about earlier police encounters that day.

Jermaine Lynn Long, 44, entered no-contest pleas in Volusia County on October 15. The State Attorney’s Office identified the principal offenses as attempted second-degree murder and aggravated battery, together with six additional charges in three other cases.

The boy had traveled to the area for Daytona 500 weekend with his family. His mother witnessed the February 14 attack, and the family later took part in discussions with prosecutors about resolving the case without a trial.

FOX 35 reported that avoiding a trial was a goal because the teenager would likely have been called to testify. He and his mother nevertheless spoke at the sentencing hearing and afterward about what happened and how it has affected them.

The Attack Happened Near a Boardwalk Ride

The teenager was near the Slingshot ride at the Daytona Beach Boardwalk when Long approached. According to prosecutors, surveillance footage showed Long moving behind the boy before attacking him and running away.

The boy’s mother told local reporters she had noticed Long looking at her son immediately beforehand. She said she ran toward them when the attack occurred.

Police found Long nearby shortly afterward and arrested him. The State Attorney’s Office said officers recovered a box cutter and a knife from him.

The teenager survived and received hospital treatment. At sentencing, he described the effect on his family, including how difficult it had been to see his mother distressed during his recovery.

His younger brother also witnessed the attack, according to the family’s account reported by WFTV. The family has described both the immediate medical emergency and the emotional effects that continued after the boy returned home.

Long Enters No Contest Pleas

Judge Christian Miller imposed the sentence after Long entered his pleas. Prosecutors said the overall 45-year term includes 30 years imposed under Florida’s Prison Releasee Reoffender provisions.

The sentence resolves more than the boardwalk case alone. The prosecutor’s announcement identifies eight charges across four cases, rather than describing all 45 years as punishment for a single count.

Long apologized in court. He said he had been under the influence of drugs and had not understood what he was doing, according to WFTV’s account of the hearing.

The teenager told FOX 35 he was not ready to forgive Long. His mother said she was pleased with the length of the sentence, while the boy said he wanted to continue with his life.

The family also said the experience had changed how they viewed visits to the beach. His mother told the station that they no longer felt safe staying in that area.

Questions Remain About an Earlier Police Encounter

Long had also been involved in a separate incident earlier on February 14, according to local reporting. A man reported being attacked outside a nearby convenience store, and police encountered Long before the later boardwalk assault.

WFTV reported that officers did not initially arrest him because they said they lacked sufficient probable cause. Prosecutors later filed charges connected with the earlier incident.

The teenager’s mother has questioned why Long was not arrested during that encounter and whether officers searched him for weapons. Those are her questions about the response, rather than a finding that police misconduct occurred.

WKMG reported that police had said they were reviewing the officers’ actions. Its sentencing coverage said a response to the station’s follow-up inquiry was still pending.

The family has requested body-camera and surveillance recordings and sent a certified letter seeking the records. That request remains the family’s specific effort to establish what officers knew and did before the boardwalk attack.

References: State of Florida v. Jermaine Lynn Long | Daytona Beach man sentenced to 45 years for slashing 13-year-old boy’s neck with box cutter | Jermaine Long sentenced to 45 years for knife attack on teenager at Daytona Beach | Daytona Beach boardwalk attacker sentenced to 45 years after throat-slashing

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