A19-year-old college studentwas found biting chunks off of a stranger’s faceafter allegedly killing a couple on Monday night, reports said.
According to police, Austin Kelly Harrouffwas found chewing off facialparts of 53-year-oldJohn Joseph Stevens III,the Miami Herald reported. Harrouff allegedly stabbed and killed Stevens and his wife,Michelle Karen Mishcon, 53. The neighbor, who called 911 at about 9:20 p.m., was also stabbed as he tried to help the couple. He survived and underwent surgery on Tuesday morning.
After using stun gunsmultiple times to no avail and the police dog failing to pull the suspect off of Stevens, three or four officers were finally able to pull Harrouff off, police said.
As they removed Harrouff, he was”grunting and growling” and “making animal noises,” Miami New Times wrote.
Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said Harrouffwas visiting his hometown of Jupiter and some of his Florida State University Alpha Delta Phifraternity brothers, theHerald reported. Mad about the slow service, hestormed out of a restaurant where he was eating with his parents and ended up at the home ofStevens and Mishconon the19000 block of Southeast Kokomo Lane.
Stevens and Mishconliked sitting in their garage with the door up in the evenings, theTallahassee Democrat reported. Neighbors said the couple had chairs and a TV in the garage.
At about 9:20 p.m., a man, later determined to be a neighbor, called 911. Harrouff allegedly stabbed Stevens and his wife with a switchblade the suspect is known to carry, the Herald reported. Other instruments that were used in the killings were found in the garage.
“There was an enormous amount of violence in that garage,” Snyder told the Herald.
Former North Miami Beach Mayor Jeffrey Mishcon identified the dead woman as his daughter, the Herald reported.
“Although we know a lot about what happened last night,” Snyder said on Tuesday, according to the Tallahassee Democrat, “there are some things we do not yet know, and there are some things that we will not be able to release just yet.” Initially, Harrouff gave police a false name, Snyder said. He is now sedated in a hospital in Palm Beach County where his condition has worsened, CBS affiliateWINK News in Fort Meyers reported. Snyder said Harrouffhas bruises, dog bites and was shocked repeatedly with stun guns. He has not yet been charged.
Snyder said he“wouldn’t be surprised” if the designer drug Flakka were involved, the Herald reported, although Harrouff’sbody temperature was not high. Flakka is known to cause a markedincrease in core temperature. Toxicology tests have ruled out drugs like cocaine and marijuana, the police said they are looking into the possibility of another synthetic drug.
“It’s inexplicable,” Snyder said, WINK reported. “One of the first things we try to do at a crime scene is try to understand the motive of the offender, because it is the motive of the offender that gets us going in the right direction. In this case, we can’t establish a motive. It’s ‘I don’t know.’”
