A man is accused of luring a Grindr date to his Upstate New York apartment before stabbing him multiple times, authorities said Thursday.
Reggie Florence, 28, connected with the victim on a dating app on Aug. 3 before inviting him to his Middletown apartment, Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler said in a statement Thursday night.
The app was the popular gay dating platform Grindr, prosecutors confirmed to News 12 Long Island.
When the victim, a Long Island resident, arrived, Florence told him he would give him a massage.
“After directing the victim to lie down on the floor and beginning to massage the victim, Florence repeatedly stabbed the victim in the back of the neck with a large kitchen knife,” prosecutors said.
As the victim fought back, Florence allegedly continued the brutal attack, stabbing him in his eyes and torso.
“As a result, the victim sustained critical injuries, including the loss of an eye,” according to prosecutors.
A neighbor saw Florence standing over the victim during the struggle and called the police, who arrived at the scene and took him into custody, officials said.
During a subsequent investigation, police recovered what appeared to be a new mop, bucket and a bottle of bleach near where the attack allegedly occurred.
Senior Assistant District Attorney Rich Moran told News 12 the defendant had knives strategically placed around the room, as well as a blanket under the victim for “easy cleanup.”
Florence was indicted by an Orange County grand jury and pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and two counts of assault during his arraignment on Thursday, online court records show.
“It is a miracle that the haunting allegations in this case did not result in the death of the victim,” Hoovler said Thursday evening. “While the victim continues to recover from life-altering injuries, we will seek to hold this defendant accountable for his unspeakable crimes.”
Florence is being held on $500,000 cash bail. He’s due back in court on Aug. 28.
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