Florida Man Arrested Christmas Day for Attempted Hatchet Attack on Man Who Allegedly Tried to Steal His Money Jar

A Florida man was arrested on Christmas day for an alleged hatchet attack inside his own home, after reportedly using the weapon to break down a bathroom door where a man he believed was trying to steal from him had barricaded himself.

Jason Godwin, 39, was apprehended by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office for the alleged attack on Wednesday and charged with culpable negligence, along with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill.

Authorities say Godwin, of Shalimar, Florida, was enraged after becoming suspicious that his alleged victim was attempting to steal his "money jar," according to a report from WALA. The unnamed man attempted to avoid Godwin's wrath by barricading himself, along with an unnamed woman, inside the bathroom.

Godwin then allegedly used the hatchet and his feet to smash in the bathroom door. The female victim was said to have been injured when she tried to grab the handle of the hatchet as Godwin was swinging it. It's unclear if the incident caused any other injuries.

The alleged Christmas day incident has resulted in serious legal trouble for Godwin. He is reportedly being held without bond.

The incident is far from the first report of a hatchet being used to attack others in 2019. Several other hatchet attacks have occurred in the Sunshine State in the last few months alone.

A 41-year-old Florida man was arrested November 30 for allegedly attacking a woman with a hatchet and a hammer. The pair were said to have been smoking methamphetamine together before the man began the crazed attack, which took place over the course of three hours. The woman survived, but suffered numerous injuries including a fractured skull. The man was charged with attempted murder and a host of other felony counts.

In October, a man in Pinellas County, Florida was reportedly caught placing Molotov cocktails inside homes in a trailer park. When a witness questioned him, he allegedly responded by attacking the witness with a hatchet, making multiple strikes to the back and chest which "required immediate medical attention." The man was later arrested and charged with arson and attempted murder.

A man in Indian River County, Florida apparently committed "suicide by police" in November after a day that included multiple encounters with authorities. One of the incidents involved the man threatening police by wielding a small hatchet. Law enforcement attempted to use non-lethal methods including tasers to subdue the man, but none of them slowed him down. He was said to have asked officers to "shoot" him. Eventually the man charged a deputy and got shot, dying of his injuries the next day.