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Florida man accused of hitting woman he met online with hammer while her child was home

Posted at 9:00 PM, Aug 17, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-19 15:29:22-04

HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. -- A Hernando County woman is fighting for her life at the hospital after a man she met through an online dating site hit her in the head with a hammer over the weekend.

The horrific attack happened while the woman's 7-year-old child was home, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.

According to deputies, the woman's male neighbor heard her screaming and went over to her apartment to check on her. When the neighbor knocked on the woman's door, she answered the door and told him she had been hit in the head with a hammer and told the neighbor to call 911. The female victim's 7-year-old child was in the apartment during the attack and was extremely upset, deputies said.

When the neighbor first heard the woman scream, he told deputies he looked out the window and spotted a white man, later identified as Timothy Kydd, running from the scene.

The woman was transported to the hospital and is in critical condition as of Monday afternoon, deputies said.

Deputies said the woman suffered multiple skull fracutres, orbital fracture and a cervical fracture.

According to deputies, the woman met Kydd through an online dating site the day before the attack. On August 16, the woman drove to Ocala to pick up Kydd and brought him back to her apartment where they spent the night.

The following morning, Kydd and the woman got into and argument and after Kydd was told to leave, he hit her in the head with a hammer multiple times.

After deputies arrived on scene, a warrant was issued for Kydd.

The suspect was found and arrested on August 18 in Marion County.

Officials have not released the full list of Kydd's charges.