Stabbing Suspect Captured, Residents Want to Know Why They Weren't Warned

SPRING HILL – The stabbing suspect who evaded capture for nearly a week has finally been taken into custody.

On Tuesday, R News reported that the Hernando County Sheriff's Office waited three days to notify residents that a violent felon, who vowed to kill someone before returning to prison, was still roaming the streets of Spring Hill. FULL STORY

The suspect, 39-year-old Steven Slattery slashed a man's face at a residence on Treehaven Drive last Saturday morning and then fled before law enforcement arrived.

Yesterday, nearly five days after the brutal slashing, Sheriff's Deputies captured Slattery and charged him with Aggravated Battery. He is now held on a $10,000 bond at the Hernando County Jail.

Residents were outraged that officials did not warn residents of the violent incident on social media, with reverse 911, or through their urgent alert app. When a violent crime like a stabbing or shooting occurs, law enforcement officials use those methods to send immediate notifications, so residents can lock their doors and be on the lookout for a dangerous suspect.

Some residents suspect that Sheriff Nienhuis is only concerned with his reelection campaign and that voters would begin to doubt his claims that "Crime is down," if he notified residents of the incident. They say he's putting politics before public safety.

R News did not receive a response from the Sheriff's Office regarding the issue.