<p class="speakable">A <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/us/us-regions/southeast/florida" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Florida sex offender</a> is behind bars after allegedly slashing a teenager's neck while he walked along the Daytona Beach Boardwalk with his parents on Valentine's Day.</p><p class="speakable">After spending the day at the Daytona International Speedway, Sullivan Clarke, 13, was talking on the phone while walking back to his hotel with his parents.</p><p>His mother, Lori, saw a man approach Sullivan and quickly slice his neck.</p><p>"I thought he was stealing Sully's phone," Lori told affiliate <a href="https://www.fox9.com/news/florida-man-accused-cutting-person-neck-daytona-beach-police" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">FOX 35 Orlando</a>. "As soon as he slashed him, I yelled and I said ‘Hey!’"</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/freed-sex-offender-allegedly-poses-doctor-sexually-assaults-student-arizona-elementary-school-police" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>FREED SEX OFFENDER ALLEGEDLY POSES AS DOCTOR, SEXUALLY ASSAULTS STUDENT AT ARIZONA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: POLICE</strong></a></p><p>Sullivan’s father, Jerod, said as soon as they realized what happened, they could see their son's neck "gashed wide open."</p><p>Doctors told the family if the cut had been one millimeter deeper, the <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/us/crime/police-and-law-enforcement" rel="noopener" target="_blank">attack would have been fatal</a>.</p><p>"The crazy thing is, I turned at the perfect time because I was on the phone and I happened to be looking up at the slingshot [ride] and I turned," Sullivan said. "That’s how he got the side of my neck and not right [in the center]."</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/starry-night-murderer-allegedly-terrorizing-people-after-early-prison-release-parole-violations" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>'STARRY NIGHT MURDERER' ALLEGEDLY TERRORIZING PEOPLE AFTER EARLY PRISON RELEASE, PAROLE VIOLATIONS</strong></a></p><p>The suspect, identified as Jermaine Lynn Long, 44, of Daytona Beach, was later found hiding near an overpass on the pier.</p><p>Long was arrested and is charged with two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to Volusia County Jail records. He was granted a $50,000 surety bond.</p><p>Jail records show Long was <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/florida-maniac-attacks-child-knife-school-bus-stop-days-after-jail-release-police-say" rel="noopener" target="_blank">released from jail just four</a> days before the attack and had pending charges from an incident in January for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and touching or striking another person.</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/repeat-offender-violent-past-accused-murdering-woman-during-home-invasion" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>REPEAT OFFENDER WITH VIOLENT PAST ACCUSED OF MURDERING WOMAN DURING HOME INVASION</strong></a></p><p>He also has a lengthy criminal history, with prior arrests including:</p><p>A local worker, Andrew Walker, told FOX 35 he was "blown away" because he had spoken with Long minutes before the attack.</p><p><a href="https://foxnews.onelink.me/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP</strong></a></p><p>"I see the man come down in cuffs, and I was like blown away because that was the same dude I saw walking past me, that just stabbed somebody in the neck," Walker said.</p><p>Long has refused to talk to investigators and police have not yet determined a motive, according to the outlet.</p>