Florida Senior, 83, Charged with Attempted Murder After Stabbing Property Manager in Apartment Dispute

Florida Senior, 83, Charged with Attempted Murder After Stabbing Property Manager in Apartment Dispute

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Shocking surveillance footage captured the moment an 83-year-old Florida man allegedly stabbed his property manager during a violent confrontation over a failed inspection.

John Gula was arrested and charged with second-degree attempted murder with a deadly weapon following the August 4 attack on Amelia Sola Ortiz, the property manager at Rebecca Towers, according to police and court records.

Authorities said Ortiz confronted Gula on the 10th floor regarding the condition of his apartment after it failed inspection. Surveillance video showed Gula speaking briefly with Ortiz and his girlfriend, Rosinda Arellana, before pulling out a folding knife and lunging at Ortiz.

The brutal struggle spilled into the hallway, where Ortiz managed to disarm Gula once, tossing the weapon aside. However, the octogenarian allegedly pulled a second knife and tried to stab her again before Arellana intervened.

Ortiz, bleeding heavily from stab wounds to her chest and a laceration to the back of her head, fled and collapsed inside another apartment while crying for help. She was rushed to Ryder Trauma Hospital, where she remains under medical care.

Police later tracked Gula to Arellana’s apartment using CCTV footage and arrested him. He was found with blood-stained shoes and remains held at the Metrowest Detention Center without bail.

Miami Beach Police said the incident stemmed from an ongoing dispute and appears isolated. Gula has invoked the Fifth Amendment and refused to cooperate with investigators.

His next court hearing is scheduled for November 20.