Man attacks three with golf club outside South Beach restaurant
STORY
A golf-club wielding man is accused of attacking his 64-year-old ex-girlfriend, her companion and a Good Samaritan who came to the couple’s rescue as they were arriving at Maison Martinique for dinner early Saturday evening, sending all three to the hospital.
A warrant with a $750,000 bond attached to it was issued Monday for the arrest of Danny Morgan, 60, who had been a seasonal resident of Palm Paradise Park, a RV and mobile home park off of U.S. 1 in Wabasso, since early November.
Gary Griffin, owner of the park, said he believes that Morgan also lives in New York.
At press time, Morgan was being sought on three counts of aggravated battery. “We want to get him arrested as fast as we can,” said John Morrison of the Vero Beach Police Department.
Police said the 49-year-old male companion of Morgan’s ex-girlfriend suffered severe head injuries. The ex-girlfriend and a 43-year-old employee who jumped in to help fend off the attacker were also injured. Police declined to release the names of the victims. All three were treated and subsequently released from Indian River Medical Center.
The upscale Maison Martinique is located on South Ocean Drive within the complex of the Caribbean Court Hotel.
As of early Monday evening, it appeared that Morgan had abandoned the mobile home that he was renting, Griffin said. “Looks like he flew the coop,” Griffin said. “He must have snapped.”
Griffin said he was shocked to hear about the allegations as he considered Morgan to be very mild mannered. “I just cannot believe it,” Griffin said. “I tell you, I am in shock. This guy is so quiet.”
Griffin said Morgan told him at the start of the month that he and his girlfriend had split up.
But just last week, Griffin said, Morgan suggested that he was getting back together with his girlfriend. “He was quite sure it was going to work out.”
The incident occurred 11 months after deputies in St. Lucie County issued a warrant for Morgan’s arrest on allegations that are very similar.
According to court documents, Morgan ambushed his estranged wife and a male companion inside the woman’s Port Saint Lucie home four days before Christmas last December after she and a male had come back from Christmas caroling.
The victim in that case, Anthony Curra, told police he was attacked by Morgan as he was saying goodbye to Morgan’s estranged wife when all of a sudden Morgan began punching him in the head and mouth, then threw a chair at him and forced him out the door.
Curra told police that when he went back in to help Morgan’s estranged wife, Morgan struck him with a beer bottle.
Curra then fell through the door way and was knocked out. He was taken to a hospital and received multiple stitches.
Morgan was arrested eight days later. In June, prosecutors dropped charges against him.
