A 28-year-old man used Grindr to lure another man to his home in Orange County, New York, where he stabbed him repeatedly and left him with what authorities described as “life-altering” injuries, according to Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler and local news reports.
Reggie Florence, of Middletown, New York, was charged with second-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault for his alleged role in the stabbing attack, which took place on Aug. 3, according to authorities. Middletown is approximately 70 miles north of midtown Manhattan on the west side of the Hudson River.
Florence and the unidentified victim started communicating earlier in the day on Aug. 3, according to prosecutors, and the victim traveled to Florence’s home with the understanding that he would receive a massage.
“It is a miracle that the haunting allegations in this case did not result in the death of the victim,” District Attorney David M. Hoovler said in a written statement. “Thankfully, the prompt response by law enforcement ensured not only that the victim survived, but that this allegedly violent offender was promptly taken into custody. While the victim continues to recover from life-altering injuries, we will seek to hold this defendant accountable for his unspeakable crimes.”
Upon arriving, Florence allegedly told the victim to lie down on the floor, at which point Florence started massaging him. Florence proceeded to stab the victim repeatedly with a large kitchen knife, prompting the victim to fight back. Still, Florence kept stabbing him, including his eyes and his torso, leading him to lose his eye and suffer other critical injuries.
After a neighbor called police, officers arrived to find Florence standing over the victim while struggling with the knife, according to prosecutors. Florence was swiftly taken into custody — and police later found what seemed to be a new mop, bocket, and bottle of bleach near the scene.
News 12 Hudson Valley appeared to be the first news outlet to report that the dating app involved in the case was Grindr. The District Attorney’s Office did not immediately return a request for comment and a spokesperson for the Middletown Police Department would not confirm nor deny a question from Gay City News seeking confirmation that the app was Grindr. Grindr did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Florence is being held at the Orange County Jail. His next scheduled court date is Aug. 28.
