Jonathan Self, 36, homeless, was arrested Oct. 31 by Holmes Beach police for sexual assault, a first-degree felony, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony.
HBPD Sgt. Josh Betts and officer Alex Hurt were sent on a 911 call at 8:30 p.m. at the Manatee Public Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive. Dispatch told the officers a woman emerged from the restrooms covered in blood, screaming that her boyfriend, Self, attacked her and she stabbed him.
Upon examining the victim, officers determined that she had a puncture wound on her neck. Manatee County Emergency Management Services was contacted and transported her to Blake Medical Center in Bradenton.
Once stable, she told officers she and Self were engaged in intercourse on the beach when he became violent and started choking her. As she started to lose consciousness, she struck Self twice with a pocket knife.
She said Self wrestled the knife from her, stabbed her in the neck and arm, then fled north on the beach.
While searching for Self, officers spotted blood on the sand and other items indicating the crime scene, near the dunes by 46th Street.
Witnesses said they encountered a man with stab wounds and offered to take him to the hospital, but he asked for a ride to a gas station in the 5800 block of Manatee Avenue West.
One witness said, once at the gas station, Self was losing consciousness and the witness asked employees to call the police.
EMS transported Self to Blake and police were contacted. Upon questioning, he told officers that he and his girlfriend were engaged in consensual intercourse and “she went crazy” and stabbed him and herself.
Self previously was arrested Aug. 28 on charges of domestic violence by strangulation. However, the charges were dropped and Self was released Sept. 30.
Based on police interviews with the victim and Self, Self was arrested, taken to the Manatee County jail and was being held in custody as of Nov. 2.
Self’s arraignment was not set as of press time for The Islander.