A Hernando man was arrested Sunday after he reportedly stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death with a large sword.
The Citrus County Sheriff's Office received a call that a woman was being stabbed just before 10:30 p.m. on Sunday night.
When deputies arrived on scene, they found Brandi Blevins, 42, of Hernando, dead in the front yard of a home on Benjamin Street. Blevins suffered deep lacerations to her legs, thighs, torso and body. She also had a large wound in the back of her head.
A witness, who was also staying at the home, told deputies that the suspect, Eric Huffman, 41, of Hernando, ran away from the scene.
Deputies say Blevins daughter says they may have been arguing about Huffman wanting them to move out of his home.
Residents in the area received an Alert Citrus and were told to lock their doors and be on the lookout for an armed subject, and to call 911 if they saw anyone suspicious.
A resident told deputies there was a man on her back pool deck.
Deputies found him inside her pool, in his underwear.
Huffman was located and taken into custody without incident.
"In 22 years this is one of the most violent crimes I've ever seen," said Brian Spiddle with the Citrus Co. Sheriff's office.
While in custody, detectives say Huffman confessed to stabbing Blevins. A witness also told deputies that after Huffman stabbed Blevins, he ran to his truck and proceeded to run over her before crashing into a nearby tree.
Huffman is charged with one count of premeditated murder and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Huffman has a lengthy criminal past including burglary, resisting law enforcement and two recent arrests of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
"First and foremost - our thoughts and prayers are with those who were impacted by this horrible crime," says Sheriff Mike Prendergast. "This is a perfect example of why Alert Citrus is such an important tool for our agency. We captured this extremely dangerous man quickly because we were able to warn nearby residents immediately."
Citrus deputies release 911 call:
The investigation is ongoing.
