PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A Palm Beach County man faces charges after he hit his nephew in the head with a hammer at a job site in Loxahatchee, deputies said.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office was notified just after 11 a.m. Sunday by a nurse at Good Samaritan Medical Center Emergency Center that a man walked in with a head injury.
Deputies responded to the medical center where the 35-year-old injured man told them he was hit in the head with a hammer by his uncle, Daniel Pierre, 47, at a job site in Loxahatchee.
Investigators said the victim suffered life-threatening injuries that included a skull fracture and brain tear, forcing medical personnel to take him to St. Mary's Medical Center.
Despite his injuries, the injured nephew was able to tell investigators that he and his uncle work together as painters and carpool together to job sites.
However, at 7 a.m. Sunday the victim said he realized that Pierre had left to go to the Loxahatchee job site without him. He said he called Daniel multiple times, but his uncle didn't answer. The nephew said he was eventually able to get a neighbor to give him a ride to the job site.
The affidavit said when the victim arrived at the site Pierre told the foreman that he no longer wanted to work with his nephew because "he does not do a good job."
However, the man's nephew began painting the front of a residence, noticing that Pierre was to his left on a ladder.
He said he later noticed Pierre getting off the ladder and then saw a hammer in his uncle's right hand. A few minutes, the victim told deputies that Pierre was walking behind him, and he felt that he was struck in the head.
The nephew said he fell to the ground and was unconscious. When he woke up, he said Pierre yelled "let's go!" to a friend, leaving the site in an SUV.
The affidavit said the hammer was recovered at the scene by detectives.
A short time later, the injured nephew said the foreman at the job site drove him home to his apartment. After arriving home, he saw Pierre's roommate, who told him that Pierre had already come home, telling him that he had killed his nephew, the affidavit said. The roommate then walked the victim to the hospital.
The remaining part of the arrest report is redacted.
Online jail records show Pierre was booked at the main Palm Beach County jail at 1:58 a.m. Monday.
He faces charges of attempted murder with a deadly weapon and resisting an officer without violence. He is being held without bond.
