BSO: Construction Worker Brutally Attacks Another With Crowbar
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DEERFIELD BEACH (CBSMiami) – Detectives are trying to find out what led to a seemingly unprovoked attack of a construction worker that led to his death.
Broward Sheriff's deputies said Jonathan Schuler, 32, attacked Arcenio Alvarez, 32, with a crowbar while they were working at a construction site in Deerfield Beach near West Hillsboro Boulevard just East of I-95.
According to worker Jose Flores, the alleged attacker hit the victim in the head twice from behind, and he claimed the attack was unprovoked. It was apparently very bloody.
Fellow workers pursued the alleged attacker who jumped from the second floor of the building and ran across the parking lot.
Orrin Scott, who is staying at a nearby hotel told CBS4's Gary Nelson that he saw the chase.
"One had an ax, and two others had a crowbar each. That's all I saw," said Scott. "They captured the alleged attacker, held him for police."
"We caught him," Flores said.
Flores said he has an idea what was behind the ax slaying - drugs.
The man was taken to the hospital with hugely high blood pressure, deputies said. Investigators and CSI probed the construction site killing scene for long hours late into the afternoon.
Investigators and CSI probed the construction site killing scene for long hours late into the afternoon on Wednesday.
As for a motive for the cold blooded the killing, investigators are still trying to find that out.
"It is unclear at this time what prompted this attack from a coworker. It's also unclear at this time whether these two men really even knew each other," said Gina Carter with the Broward Sheriff's Office.
Police say this might have been the suspect's first day on the job with a demolition company. Co-workers said the man who was killed lives in West Palm, is married and has a 3-year-old child.
Schuler is a resident of Palm Beach County but has two prior arrests in Broward County.
In 2006, he was arrested for driving the wrong way on a one-way, failure to display vehicle registration, violation of driver's license restrictions, resisting arrest without violence, possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of MDMA with intent to sell and possession of cannabis. In 2008, he was arrested for violating his probation.
Authorities are charging him with premeditated murder in this case.