A Florida man allegedly slashed a 70-year-old stranger with a box cutter after deciding the victim looked like someone from the 1960s—a decade he said he disliked.
Ramsey Thomas Lyons faces a charge of aggravated battery against a person aged 65 or older, according to a probable cause affidavit reviewed by Oxygen.
Lyons pleaded not guilty. His attorney did not immediately respond to Oxygen’s request for comment.
The alleged attack occurred Oct. 10 inside a Publix in Punta Gorda. The victim told police he was standing in a store aisle when he suddenly felt what seemed to be a punch on the left side of his face, the affidavit states.
When he turned, the man reportedly saw Lyons watching him while holding a box cutter. The victim backed away slowly before running toward the customer service counter, according to investigators.
The victim suffered a laceration measuring roughly four to six inches, stretching from his cheek to his neck, as well as a small cut on his upper chest. He was hospitalized and told police he planned to pursue charges against Lyons.
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Lyons later offered police an explanation for what authorities described as an intentional attack.
He allegedly told investigators that he had considered the act for two days before gathering the courage to follow through. Lyons also said he had an undiagnosed mental illness.
According to the affidavit, Lyons said he entered the supermarket intending to kill someone and became focused on the victim because the man appeared to be from the 1960s, a period Lyons said he disliked.
After spotting the victim, Lyons said he felt like “acing him out.” When police asked what he meant, he allegedly clarified: “murder him.”
“I just pulled it out of my pocket and stuck it in his neck,” Lyons allegedly said of the box cutter. He reportedly told police he threw the weapon down the aisle afterward so officers would not feel threatened and use a Taser or firearm.
Lyons was arrested and booked into the Charlotte County Jail. Court records show that he is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 15.