Daytona Beach man sentenced to 45 years for slashing 13-year-old boy’s neck with box cutter
Sullivan Clarke, 13, was visiting for the races when a man he didn't know walked up and cut his throat while he was walking with his parents.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A man who slashed a 13-year-old boy's neck with a box cutter near the Daytona Beach Boardwalk in February has been sentenced to 45 years in prison.
Jermaine Long entered no contest pleas Thursday to attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery and six additional charges stemming from three other cases.
The victim, Sullivan Clarke, and his mother spoke after the hearing about the attack.
What happened
The backstory:
The attack happened on Feb. 14, 2026, during Daytona 500 weekend.
According to the State Attorney's Office, surveillance footage showed Long circling behind Clarke before slashing the boy's neck with a box cutter and running away.
Clarke was taken to a hospital, where he received 13 stitches.
His mother, Lori Clarke, said she witnessed the attack and noticed Long watching her son moments before it happened.
Daytona Beach police located Long nearby shortly after the attack and arrested him. Prosecutors said officers found two-edged weapons, a box cutter and a knife, in his possession.
45-year sentence:
During Thursday's hearing, Long entered no contest pleas to eight charges across four cases.
Jermaine Long
A judge sentenced him to a total of 45 years in prison. This came after the family sat down with prosecutors, with the goal of bypassing a trial, in which Sullivan would likely have to take the stand.
Lori said she was pleased with the outcome, and detailed how impactful the incident was.
For Sullivan, the hearing marked the first time he had seen his attacker in person.
He said he had previously seen Long on the news, but never saw his face during the attack because Long approached him from behind.
'I don't forgive him'
What they're saying:
Despite Long offering an apology in court, Sullivan said he wasn't ready to forgive him.
"I don't forgive him," Sullivan said, adding that he believed Long received the punishment he deserved.
His mother agreed.
"We're very happy with the 45 years, absolutely, yes," Lori Clarke said.
Eight months after the attack, Sullivan says he's focused on moving forward with his life.
"I'm young," he said. "I'm just gonna move on. Hopefully it just fades away."
His mother says the experience has permanently changed how the family views Daytona Beach.
"We don't feel safe staying at the beach anymore, and we'll never stay by the beach again," she said.
Family raises questions about police response
While the family is relieved Long will spend decades behind bars, Lori Clarke says she still has unanswered questions about his interactions with Daytona Beach police before her son was attacked.
She said Long had been detained earlier in connection with an alleged incident involving a man being struck with a sledgehammer.
Clarke wants to know why Long wasn't arrested during that encounter and whether officers searched him for weapons.
"We're wondering if the police failed to pat him down when he was detained for hitting the man in the head with a sledgehammer," she said.
Clarke said she has requested body camera and surveillance footage from police but has not received a response. She said she has since sent a certified letter requesting the records.
"I think it's really important for the community to know whether the police are actually protecting us or not when we're here in Daytona, especially during the Daytona 500, which is one of the biggest tourist weekends of the year," Clarke said.
The Source: This story was written based on court proceedings in Volusia County on Oct. 15, 2026, reports from the Daytona Beach Police Department, and statements from the victim and his family.