Police: 79-year-old stabbed, carjacked by man in ski mask dies; suspect now charged with murder

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Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office

HAINES CITY, Fla. - A Florida man is facing first-degree murder charges after police say he stabbed a 79-year-old man to death outside a Haines City medical complex.

According to police, 32-year-old Christopher Lynn King of Madison, Florida, was wearing a ski mask when he stabbed Manuel Goita three times in the stomach at the medical complex parking lot on Patterson Grove Road around 1:30 p.m. on Friday.

Police say King took Goitia's keys and fled north on U.S. 27 in the victim's 2003 blue Toyota Matrix.

Officers located the vehicle on U.S. 27 near Posner Park in unincorporated Davenport. After a short pursuit, deputies from the assisting Polk County Sheriff's Office utilized the pursuit intervention technique (PIT) to disable the vehicle and get it off the road.

As the vehicle came to a rest facing southeast on the northbound side of FDC Grove Road, King got out of the car and began to run. However, despite his attempts to fight law enforcement, King was quickly apprehended.

Goitia was flown to an area hospital where he underwent multiple surgeries and suffered multiple heart attacks resulting from complications of the stabbing. He was pronounced dead just after 1 p.m. on Sunday.

"We mourn with the victim's family for this senseless murder," Chief Jim Elensky said. "We will work to provide the strongest case possible in collaboration with the State Attorney's Office to prosecute this killer to the fullest extent of the law."

In addition to first-degree murder, King has been charged with aggravated battery on a victim 65 or over, armed robbery, grand theft auto, carrying a concealed weapon, fleeing to elude, driving without a valid license, resisting arrest with and without violence, wearing a mask in the commission of a felony and battery on a law enforcement officer. He was also issued multiple traffic citations.

Florida Crime and Public Safety