”The defendant proceeded to pull the ligature tight around the victim's neck for several seconds which caused visible physical injury to the victim," the probable cause affidavit states,in part.
A Florida teenager was arrested after he ambushed a jogger then attempted to strangle him and keep the victim’s body in his bedroom closet, to allegedly “fulfill his sexual fantasies,” according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Inside Edition Digital.
Logan Smith, 18, was charged with attempted first-degree murder after he allegedly planned to attack a man, who regularly runs past his Florida home located in Cocoa, about 50 miles from Orlando, according to the affidavit filed by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Department.
Smith has no bond status and is currently being held at the Brevard County Jail, according to court records.
The incident allegedly happened around 11:30 p.m. Monday evening. According to investigators, Smith laid out a bedsheet in his driveway and then hid behind a light pole along Batavia Avenue with a waist belt from a robe. He also had an aerosol can of Axe body spray and rubber mallet, according to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office PIO, Tom Goodyear.
When the man ran past the victim's home, Smith came up behind him and wrapped the waist belt around the jogger’s neck, and began to choke him, according to the affidavit.
The victim fought back using his martial arts training, according to police. The victim, whose name was not released, detained the suspect until the police arrived, according to the affidavit.
"He stated that he was jogging with his earphones in listening to music when he stated out of nowhere he realized he was being 'choked,'" according to the affidavit. "He explained the pressure [of the robe belt] was enough to understand that blood flow was being restricted and [he] had to defend himself."
According to the affidavit, the victim told authorities he frequently runs in the area and had never seen, spoken to, or met Smith. Smith told investigators that he first saw the man about six weeks prior and began to watch his routine, People reported.
When Smith was questioned by deputies, he admitted to trying to strangle the victim, police say. In the affidavit, police said that he wanted to have the victim’s body “all to himself.”
Smith allegedly said he decided to try to kill the jogger after he had been watching a movie that featured acts of violence, according to the affidavit.
Smith’s next arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 10 at 8 a.m. at the Titusville Historic Courthouse, court records show.
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