Sword, Truck Used As Murder Weapons: Sheriff

CITRUS COUNTY, FL — A 41-year-old Hernando man is behind bars after Citrus County deputies say he used a sword to repeatedly stab his ex-girlfriend before running her over with a truck and fleeing the scene on foot Sunday night.

According to the agency, the incident occurred around 10:30 p.m. April 2 at a home on East Benjamin Street in Hernando. When deputies arrived, they found Brandi Blevins, 42, dead in the home’s front yard. A witness, who was staying at the home, told deputies the man allegedly responsible, Eric Huffman, 41, had run away from the area after the altercation.

The sheriff’s office sent out an Alert Citrus notice in the surrounding area, asking residents to lock their doors and keep their eyes open for anything suspicious. The agency reported Monday that it didn’t’ take long for calls to come in. Huffman was soon located on the pool deck of a home in the neighborhood, the agency reported.

Huffman, deputies say, stabbed Blevins several times with a large sword. She had “multiple deep lacerations to her legs, thighs, torso and body,” a Monday email from the agency said. “Blevins also had a large wound on the back of her head.”

After speaking with the witness, deputies say they were told after stabbing Blevins, Huffman got into his truck and ran her over before crashing into a tree. That’s when, according to the email, he bailed out and ran from the scene.

Huffman now faces premediated murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges. Deputies say he has been arrested in the past on burglary, resisting law enforcement and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon charges.

"First and foremost - our thoughts and prayers are with those who were impacted by this horrible crime," Sheriff Mike Prendergast said in a Monday statement. "This is a perfect example of why Alert Citrus is such an important tool for our agency. We captured this extremely dangerous man quickly because we were able to warn nearby residents immediately."

Booking photo courtesy of the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office