Brian Thomas Leach was led by law enforcement from a hospital to a vehicle to be brought to the Martin County Jail (Martin County Sheriff”s Office)
A Florida man is accused of inviting his landlord over for dinner only to viciously attack her and drive his vehicle into their shared home.
Brian Thomas Leach, 69, has been charged with attempted murder, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said on Thursday. He is being held in the Martin County Jail.
Deputies were called on Tuesday night to a home on the 1000 block of Northeast Ocean View Circle in Jensen Beach — about 100 miles north of Miami. Police said when they arrived at the house, they observed a scene that indicated a “violent and disturbing” situation.
Deputies said they learned Leach, who rents the lower level of the house, had invited his landlord, who lives in the upper level, over for dinner.
“After luring the victim downstairs under the pretense of dinner, Leach viciously beat her, then crashed his vehicle into the home in an apparent fit of rage,” the sheriff’s office wrote on social media in its summary of events, adding that the crash caused “substantial structural damage.”
The unnamed victim was left with “severe injuries.” Photos shared by the sheriff’s office showed a damaged Toyota RAV4 vehicle with blood on it, destruction to what appeared to be the side of the home, and drops of blood across the floor of a hallway inside.
Leach was arrested at the home, “though not before he slashed his own arms with a knife,” the sheriff’s office said. He was brought to a nearby hospital under law enforcement supervision.
Investigators believe Leach was angry because the landlord proposed eviction, according to local outlet WPTV.
Law enforcement provided video of his release from the hospital and transportation to the local jail. He was barefoot and limping while appearing dazed.
It is unclear when Leach is scheduled to appear in court. The attempted murder charge could land him in prison for the rest of his life, per the Florida Legislature.
