A 72-year-old man is recovering from serious injuries after being attacked on his front porch in North Fort Myers.
Lee County deputies say 27-year-old Marshall Johnson tackled the older man to the ground after trying to get into his house on Skyline Drive early Saturday morning. The victim was rushed to the hospital. He told deputies he was able to push Johnson off and call 911.
"I'm shocked that this happened next door," said his neighbor, Keely Ford. "And to a person like him, he doesn't bother anybody. He does suffer from Parkinson's, and he's just an elderly man, so it's shocking to see something like that happen to him."
Johnson also lives in the neighborhood, and after finding a backpack and a shoe on the lawn, deputies found him two doors down. Johnson had dried blood on his arms, hands, and clothes.
According to the arrest report, Johnson admitted he was responsible but claimed he didn’t remember what happened.
"Because this guy had lost a shoe and a backpack in the yard, that's how they got the scent,” Ford said, referring to the K-9 unit. “They gave that scent to the dog, and the dog went all over our house. I'm guessing he might have tried to get into our house first because the dog was just going crazy in our yard."
Johnson’s criminal history includes multiple arrests tied to drugs and alcohol. For some neighbors, this latest incident is the final straw, and they want him gone. Other neighbors say that this could’ve been a moment of confusion, not violence.
"I don't feel like he's a threat or a danger to anybody in the neighborhood, he's been here for years and years," said Scott Sorensen. "I think it was a miscommunication."
Johnson is currently in jail and was charged with battery on a person 65 years of age or older. His next court date is set for June 2 in Lee County.