The Eyrie

TAMPA, FL — A Tampa man was arrested after deputies say he stabbed another man multiple times, took the victim’s vehicle and fled the scene in a violent attack captured on surveillance video. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as Yoandry Hernandez Penton.

Deputies responded to the stabbing near North Central Avenue at about 2:58 p.m. on Oct. 20. They found the victim with multiple stab wounds and rushed him to a hospital in critical condition. The sheriff’s office said the man remains in serious condition.

Sheriff Chad Chronister described the assault as a severe and unrelenting attack that left the victim with life-threatening injuries.

Deputies say video shows the fight before the stabbing

Investigators reviewed surveillance footage that they say shows a scuffle before the stabbing. In the video, the victim can be heard telling Penton to let him go as Penton dragged him from a house, according to the sheriff’s office.

That footage became a key part of the case as detectives worked to reconstruct what happened before and after the attack. The sheriff’s office said the video also showed Penton leaving the area in the victim’s vehicle after the stabbing.

Authorities have not publicly detailed what led up to the confrontation, but the footage gave investigators a timeline of the violence and the getaway.

Victim’s vehicle found abandoned on North Hubert Avenue

After fleeing, Hernandez Penton allegedly drove away in the victim’s vehicle at high speed. Detectives later located the abandoned car on North Hubert Avenue in Tampa.

Additional surveillance footage showed a man identified by investigators as Hernandez Penton getting out of the vehicle and walking away. Deputies have not said how long the vehicle was missing before it was recovered.

The recovered car appears to have been an important lead in the case, helping investigators track the suspect’s movements after the stabbing. The sheriff’s office said the vehicle theft was tied directly to the assault.

Arrest made on West Hillsborough Avenue two days later

Deputies arrested Hernandez Penton on West Hillsborough Avenue on Wednesday, two days after the stabbing. He was booked on charges of attempted first-degree murder with a weapon, grand theft of a motor vehicle and possession of cocaine.

The sheriff’s office did not say whether the arrest followed a tip, surveillance review or another investigative step. It also has not released additional details about the relationship, if any, between the suspect and the victim.

Authorities said the case remains under investigation as detectives continue to piece together the events that started near North Central Avenue and ended with the suspect’s arrest.

Sheriff says the attack left lasting injuries and fear

Chronister’s description of the case underscored the seriousness of the injuries and the force of the attack. The victim’s condition had improved from critical to serious by the time the sheriff’s office provided its update, but he was still hospitalized.

Officials have not released the victim’s name, and they have not said whether any other people were present when the stabbing happened. The focus of the case so far has been on the alleged assault, the vehicle theft and the escape captured on video.

The sheriff’s office has not announced any additional suspects. For now, investigators are treating the case as an attempted homicide tied to a violent theft and flight from the scene.

Charges bring together violence, theft and drug possession

The criminal complaint against Hernandez Penton combines three separate allegations: the stabbing, the theft of the victim’s vehicle and possession of cocaine. Together, the charges reflect both the violence of the encounter and what deputies say happened afterward.

Attempted first-degree murder with a weapon is the most serious count in the case. The grand theft charge relates to the vehicle taken after the stabbing, while the drug charge adds another layer to the arrest.

Because the investigation is still active, the sheriff’s office has not said whether more charges could follow. Detectives continue to review evidence from surveillance footage and the recovered vehicle.