New Horrifying Details In Dating App Meetup That Ended In Stabbing As Indictment Revealed: DA

MIDDLETOWN, NY — An Orange County resident has been indicted for the dating app meetup that had tragic consequences for a visitor to the Hudson Valley from Long Island.

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that 28-year-old Reggie Florence, of Middletown, was arraigned on Thursday on an indictment charging him with second-degree attempted murder, and two counts of first-degree assault, for a violent stabbing that took place earlier this month, in the City of Middletown.

SEE ALSO: Dating App Meetup Ends With Double Stabbing In Orange County Apartment: Police

According to court documents, on August 3, Florence began communicating with the victim on a dating app, and soon lured the victim to his home, in the Sutton Hill Apartments on Underhill Road, where he told the victim he would give him a massage. After telling the victim to lie down on the floor and beginning to massage the victim, Florence repeatedly stabbed the victim in the back of the neck with a large kitchen knife. As the victim tried to fight back, Florence continued to stab the victim all over their body, including the eyes and torso. This resulted in the the victim sustaining critical injuries, including the loss of an eye.

After a concerned neighbor contacted police, officers arrived at the scene to find Florence standing over the victim struggling with the knife. After taking Florence into custody, police also recovered what seemed to be a new mop, bucket and bottle of bleach near where the attack had taken place.

During the arraignment, Florence's bail was continued and he was remanded back to the Orange County Jail in lieu of $500,000 cash bail, or $1,000,000 fully secured bond or $2,000,000 partially secured bond. He is next scheduled for a conference on August 28.

Hoovler thanked the City of Middletown Police Department for their investigation which led to the arrest of Florence. He also thanked the New York State Police who assisted in securing the scene.

"It is a miracle that the haunting allegations in this case did not result in the death of the victim," the district attorney said. "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."