JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- What would you do if your landlord approached you with a machete? It may sound crazy but one tenant on Marquette Avenue was faced with that situation. Landlords usually come around looking for rent checks but according to a police report, 69-year-old Joseph Dekle was looking for a fight.
According to the report, Dekle got involved in an altercation between his daughter and his tenant's daughter, Kayla Forester. Dekle is accused of bringing a machete to the fight.
"He's walking towards my wife with a machete and I’m like uh no sir," said Kayla's husband, 29-year-old Zach Nardone.
Fearing for his wife and his 4-year-old little girl's safety, Nardone rushed to defend them. That's when they say Dekle attacked, and struck Nardone with the blunt end of his machete. Nardone says his back is still sore, but it didn't leave a mark.
"I got lucky that it wasn't on edge, yeah he hit me with the flat part of it," said Nardone.
Dekle's family lives in the home adjacent to his tenants. They did not want to appear on camera but they told us they were serving their tenants an eviction notice when the fight broke out.
Joseph Dekle is currently being held at the Duval County jail at $120,000 bond.
