A woman who recently became a mother was severely injured in a violent machete attack by her brother, who allegedly yelled, “why aren’t you dead yet?” during the assault. Ruben Altidore inflicted a four-inch wound on his sister’s right hand, nearly severing multiple fingers, in the incident that occurred on Monday morning. Altidore, 36, was apprehended later that day in Margate, located approximately 40 miles north of Miami, Florida. He faced charges of attempted felony murder, aggravated child abuse, and violating probation during a court appearance on Tuesday.
Eyewitnesses reported that Altidore shouted during the attack, as documented in an arrest report obtained by local news outlet WPLG. The victim managed to flee her home and seek help from a neighbor, Luis Pereria, who described her frantic arrival at his doorstep. Surveillance footage from a doorbell camera captured the moment when the injured woman rang the neighbor’s doorbell before collapsing on the ground.
Despite the mother sustaining severe injuries, her one-year-old child was unharmed but covered in blood. Law enforcement discovered blood inside the residence and on a sheath of a machete during their investigation. The motive behind the attack remains unclear. Altidore is currently detained in Broward County Main Jail as the legal process unfolds.