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Florida Man Allegedly Mutilates Someone In ‘Surprise’ Machete Attack At McDonald's
Devin Lowell Quarterman allegedly told the victim's friend there was going to be a murder at McDonald’s moments before the machete attack.
A Florida man is accused of nearly hacking another man to death with a machete in a “surprise attack” outside a McDonald’s over the weekend.
Devin Lowell Quarterman was arrested and charged with attempted murder on Monday, February 10 in connection to the weekend machete attack at the fast food restaurant, according to authorities.
Quarterman allegedly ambushed 42-year-old Gerardo Garcia and slashed him at least 10 times with a machete at a McDonald’s in Pinellas Park, Florida, police said. The alleged victim sustained a fractured skull and jaw as well as multiple cuts on both his arms, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Oxygen.com.
“[It’s] pretty, pretty shocking,” Police Sgt. John Shea told Oxygen.com. “It was a surprise attack — there was not an argument prior to. Mr. Quarterman jumped out on the victim and surprise attacked him.”
The attack occurred outside the closed McDonald’s shortly before midnight on Feb. 10, authorities said. Upon arrival, police interviewed witnesses, including one man who watched the attack unfold and claimed to be friends with both men.
Tristan Wesley Godsey told police he was walking down the street when Quarterman rode by him on a bicycle roughly an hour before the machete attack. Godsey claimed Quarterman made a cryptic comment about “hunting Cubans,” before telling his friend that “there was going to be a murder at McDonald’s.” Godsey explained that Garcia’s nickname is “Cuba.” He also claimed to have known Quarterman for several years, the criminal complaint stated.
Later, he met Garcia, who was seated inside the McDonald’s. The two men later got up to leave, but were confronted by Quarterman who was allegedly lurking outside while wearing a “small mask," and wielding a machete. Godsey told police that Quarterman then repeatedly swung his blade at the head and hands of Garcia, who began “bleeding profusely.”
Godsey also allegedly disclosed to investigators that he saw Quarterman sharpening a machete days before the attack.
Oxygen.com was unable to immediately reach Godsey on Tuesday.
Quarterman fled the scene but was later taken into custody, police said. Garcia’s injuries were described as “severe” by police, who added that the man is in critical condition.
It’s unclear whether authorities recovered the machete allegedly used in the attack, but detectives suspect that the machete ambush was related to a past dispute between the two men.
“They previously had a disturbance and that’s what led to this,” Shea explained.
The sergeant was unable to specify the nature of the past altercation between Quarterman and Garcia.
A manager at the McDonald’s location declined to comment on the incident on Tuesday.
Quarterman has a lengthy arrest record, according to a trove of court documents obtained by Oxygen.com.
Last April, police were called to his ex-fiancé's home after Quarterman allegedly threw his former partner on the ground and smashed her Playstation 3. Quarterman, who was allegedly scratched in the face in the domestic incident, was charged with misdemeanor battery and criminal mischief –– however, the case was dismissed.
A month earlier, Quarterman allegedly called a Burger King manager a "bitch" and was accused of “yelling,” “screaming,” and “scaring” customers because he was “upset he did not get his food in a timely manner,” separate court documents show. He was charged with disorderly conduct but that case never went to trial.
In November 2017, Quarterman allegedly entered a restaurant where his girlfriend worked, pulled out a gun from his waistband, “racked the chamber,” and threatened to “kill her and everyone in the restaurant,” according to additional court documents. He was charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, criminal mischief, carrying a concealed firearm, and resisting arrest, but this case was ultimately dismissed as well.
The 28-year-old also has arrests related to obstructing police officers, possession of drug paraphernalia, and two petty larceny charges out of Pasco County.
Quarterman appeared in court on Tuesday and was appointed a public defender, according to the Pinellas County Clerk’s office.
