Man on probation arrested for stabbing roommate

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Thomas Lamont Sanford, 44, was arrested early yesterday morning for allegedly stabbing a man and pushing a woman.

At about 7:07 a.m. on January 1, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to a report that a person was stabbed at a residence; when he arrived, three people came outside and told him Sanford was still inside with a knife. The deputy noted that although all four people live at the residence, the incident is not considered to be domestic violence because Sanford is not in a domestic relationship with any of the other involved parties.

The male victim told the deputy that he heard Sanford and the female victim arguing in the kitchen and heard Sanford say he was going to “kill everyone and won’t be found.” The male victim said he went into the kitchen to protect the female victim, and Sanford grabbed a “machete-sized knife.” The male victim said he grabbed a smaller kitchen knife because he was scared of Sanford, and then Sanford hit his leg with the “pointy” end of the machete and then “bashed” him on the head with the machete and “threw” him across a table. The deputy noted that the male victim had a two-inch laceration and a fresh scratch from the incident.

The male victim also reportedly said that he saw Sanford push the female victim while she was trying to tend to his injuries, but Sanford was not able to push past the female victim before the deputy arrived and Sanford went into his room.

The female victim said she and Sanford had been arguing in the kitchen when the male victim came out of his bedroom to protect her. She said Sanford “tapped” the side of the male victim’s leg and then pushed him down. She said she and the male victim went into the bathroom to clean up the blood on the male victim, and Sanford came into the bathroom, trying to get to the male victim. She said Sanford pushed her, but she did not move, so Sanford “shoved” her, still unsuccessfully trying to get to the male victim. She said the deputy arrived at that point, and Sanford went into his bedroom.

A witness said she had been asleep when she woke up to hear arguing and screams coming from the kitchen. She said she looked out to see someone “fly across the table,” and then the female victim said the male victim had been stabbed. She said she told everyone to “chill out” and took the knife from Sanford, who “took off in his room.”

The deputy issued commands to Sanford to come out of the residence, but he allegedly did not come outside. Eventually, a K-9 team brought him out of the residence.

Sanford has been charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, felony battery with prior battery convictions, and resisting an officer without violence. He has three felony convictions (non-violent) and nine misdemeanor convictions (three violent); he has served one state prison sentence and was released in 2009. He is currently on probation for drug possession. Judge Adam Lee ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.