LAKELAND, Florida — An 82-year-old man from Gastonia, North Carolina, was arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday after allegedly stabbing his daughter’s boyfriend. The incident occurred on January 7, 2025, at a residence on Saddlewood Boulevard, north of Lakeland.
Deputies responded to the scene at approximately 2:42 p.m. and took Rudolph Philson into custody following an investigation, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. The victim, a 43-year-old man, was in the process of moving out of the home he shared with his girlfriend when he returned to retrieve belongings and was confronted by Philson.
The victim sustained a single stab wound to the chest and was transported to the hospital, where he remains in stable condition. Philson was charged with attempted second-degree murder with a weapon and is being held at the Polk County Jail.