WEST PALM BEACH, FL – A Florida man faces multiple felony charges after authorities say he ambushed and repeatedly stabbed his former girlfriend outside her home in front of their two young children.
Court documents show that 25-year-old Courtney Anderson was arrested Friday following the attack, which was captured by a surveillance camera outside the woman’s residence in West Palm Beach. The video documented the violent encounter as the woman approached her door, flanked by the couple’s three- and five-year-old children.
According to the police report, Anderson confronted the woman, uttered a profanity, and then repeatedly stabbed her, targeting her head as the assault began. Investigators allege that after his initial attack, Anderson continued stabbing the victim even as she fell to the ground, and then again in the neck as she struggled to escape.
Despite sustaining serious wounds, the woman managed to get to her feet and screamed for help, fleeing to a neighbor’s house. Anderson reportedly fled the scene while his ex-girlfriend was left critically injured.
Emergency responders soon arrived and transported the victim to St. Mary’s Medical Center, where officials say she remains in critical condition.
Shortly after the incident, Anderson went to JFK Medical Center seeking treatment for a laceration to his hand, which authorities later described as a “slice injury.” Police say that the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office was notified by hospital staff, leading to Anderson’s detainment.
Investigators reported finding a blood-like substance in Anderson’s vehicle and noted that both his clothing and car matched descriptions and evidence observed in the surveillance video from the site of the stabbing.
Authorities say Anderson acknowledged a history of domestic violence against the victim, including a previous arrest for battery by strangulation. At the time of the stabbing, a restraining order and court-mandated no-contact order were in place against him.
Interviews with detectives revealed Anderson believed he was being kept from seeing his children and told investigators he had been monitoring the woman’s whereabouts. Police also uncovered additional surveillance footage showing Anderson’s car trailing the victim’s vehicle just before the attack.
Anderson was charged with attempted first-degree murder with a deadly weapon, aggravated stalking, and violation of a no-contact order. He remains held without bond at the Palm Beach County Jail while he awaits his next court hearing, scheduled for July 28.