Man arrested for attacking teen with machete near Auditorium Shores: APD
AUSTIN, Texas - A teenager is fighting for their life after being attacked by a person with a machete in South Austin near Auditorium Shores. A 24-year-old man was arrested and charged.
Austin residents, who frequent Auditorium Shores, told FOX 7 they aren’t completely shocked by the news, but feel for the victim.
"It surprises me and at the same time, it doesn’t," Austin resident Devin Norsworthy said.
The Austin Police Association President said a teenager was randomly and violently attacked by a "machete wielding maniac."
"At the stem of it, it's probably someone who was on drugs and doesn't really have that {mental} capacity," Norsworthy said.
The assault happened at around 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9 in the 200 block of South First Street in broad daylight, also near Auditorium Shores, which is usually busy with runners and people walking their dogs at that time.
"Hundreds easily," Norsworthy said.
Austin police said the victim was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The union president said the teen is permanently disfigured.
A verified GoFundMe set up by his former co-worker identified the teen as 19-year-old Seth Gott, and says he suffered serious injuries to his head, arms, and lower body and that he is currently in the ICU and undergoing surgery.
According to the GFM, Gott recently moved to Austin from Louisiana and is currently studying biology at Austin Community College.
Norsworthy said a man came at him with a knife near Auditorium Shores about a week ago.
"He was just holding it like that, straight up this way," Norsworthy said.
Norsworthy said he trains in martial arts.
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"I'm like okay, just keeping my distance and everything, and I'm moving around a little bit because he's coming at me with it," Norsworthy said.
Norsworthy was able to get away. He said he now carries pepper spray.
Not a warm welcome for first-time visitors to Austin.
"It's definitely pretty nuts to hear," first time visitor Blake Asplund said.
"It's crazy, but stuff like that happens I guess," first-time visitor Nicholas Johnson said.
24-year-old Ashton Kaine Talley
Austin police arrested 24-year-old Ashton Kaine Talley. He was charged with two counts of Aggravated Assault With a Deadly Weapon and one count of Evading Arrest.
"I, first and foremost, feel for the victim who had to go through this, something that no one should ever have to go through," Michael Bullock, Austin Police Association president, said. "It's also alarming. It's a trend that we seem to be seeing more and more frequently, where people are armed with a weapon and they're attacking unsuspecting folks. Just in general, it seems to be this very noticeable increase in crime happening in prominent spots that people visit."
When you're out and about, be aware of your surroundings.
"If you see something that is suspicious, obviously call us, contact us, because officers want to go out and we want to try to prevent this kind of crime from happening. It's becoming harder for us to try to keep up and do anything preventative," Bullock said.