- May 2, 2024
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A 35-year-old who was attacking his girlfriend's underage daughter ended up in the hospital and later arrested when the girl fought back and stabbed him with a pocket knife.
The altercation occurred at the Econolodge and neighboring Circle K gas station on Kingswood Drive at 6:35 p.m. on Jan. 27. The suspect, Tyland Chambers, has been charged with domestic strangulation, child abuse and two other battery charges, according to Chambers' arrest report.
Chambers, his girlfriend, and his girlfriend's children have been living in hotel rooms since losing their home in September. The victim told Flagler County Sheriff's Office deputies that Chambers had been physically abusive to her mother and herself before, and over the last several days had repeatedly yelled and threatened them over money, the arrest report said.
Chambers and the girl are the only two who work in the family, the report said. The girl told deputies that Chambers had been drinking more often recently and had argued about her needing to bring in more money to help pay for the Econolodge rooms.
She said Chambers had made multiple threats to kill her over the last several days. Because of these threats, the girl said she had purchased a pocket knife earlier that day for protection, the report said.
That evening, the girl was invited to stay in a neighboring hotel room with a friend to get away from Chambers for the night. Chambers began arguing with the girl's mother and throwing the girl's belongings out of the hotel room while threatening to throw the girl over the balcony, the report said.
The girl said she went to gather a few of her belongings and that is when Chambers attacked her. Chambers shoved the girl's mother out of the way and chased the girl from the balcony, down the stairs and into the parking lot where he put her in a head lock, the report said.
The girl told deputies she felt like she couldn't breathe so she grabbed the pocket knife from her belt loop and swung it blindly above her head, forcing Chambers to let her go.
From there she ran to the Circle K asking for help as Chambers followed her, leaving a blood trail from the Econolodge parking lot to the Circle K, the report said. Two witnesses separated the girl from Chambers while waiting for deputies to arrive.
The entire time Chambers threatened to kill her and the bystanders, even hitting one bystander in the face.
Chambers was taken to Halifax Hospital to treat the two wounds he received from the pocket knife, one on his upper right arm and one on his left hand. He was later arrested at the hospital and released to the Volusia County jail, the report said.
The girl is not facing any charges.
