Florida woman had her nose severed in suspected machete attack by horse stable employee

WELLINGTON, Fla. (WPEC) – A man is accused of attacking two people with a machete at a Florida horse stable, almost completely severing a woman’s nose.

The violent incident occurred just after 8pm on Tuesday in the Little Ranches community of Wellington, turning a once peaceful horse stable into a horrific crime scene.

According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO), officers responded to a 911 call in which a woman reported that her nose had been cut off with a machete.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found two victims in the horse stable, a man and a woman, both seriously injured.

They were immediately taken to St. Mary’s Medical Center for medical treatment and to provide statements to investigators.

It’s surreal. This is such a beautiful area. It is fenced. “Nothing ever happens here,” said neighbor Emily Ciceroni.

“When we found out it was with Aimee, we were like, What the hell? Because you wouldn’t expect anyone, especially not an employee, especially not an employee,” said neighbor Randy Halvorsrød.

The woman, stable owner Aimee Waters, told investigators that about a month ago she hired 56-year-old Abundio Jasso as a horse groom and allowed him to live in a mobile home on her property.

She mentioned that their working relationship had been strained due to Jasso’s frequent drinking and his aggressiveness when she asked him to perform his duties.

The incident escalated Tuesday evening when Waters noticed that Jasso had not completed his nightly check of the stables. Worried, she and her tenant, Joseph Hawk, set out to check on Jasso. When they knocked on the door of his RV, Jasso appeared drunk and shone a flashlight in their eyes.

To avoid further conflict, Waters and Hawk decided to conduct the night inspection themselves.

But a few moments later, Jasso is said to have stormed into the barn armed with a machete.

According to PBSO, Jasso initially attacked Hawk, who stepped in to protect Waters. Hawk told officers that after the initial attack, he witnessed Jasso strike Waters in the face with the machete, completely severing her nose and causing her to collapse.

Fearing for Waters’ life, Hawk tried to intervene again, but was hit several times and suffered deep cuts to his arm and chest.

It’s just terrible to us that someone in our community had to endure something like that, the man who did it. I don’t know what to say,” said Halvorsrød.

Neighbor Randy Halvorsrød has known Waters for almost 20 years.

“A wonderful person. She’s a generous person, a great part of the neighborhood, a great part of the equine industry in Wellington,” Halvorsrød said.

The two victims managed to escape Jasso and hide in a locked room in the barn, where they called 911.

When officers arrived, Jasso barricaded himself in his RV but eventually told officers that he attacked Waters because he was angry at her for insulting him.

The woman suffered serious injuries, including a severed nose, facial trauma and a fractured upper jawbone.

Hawk suffered a fractured metacarpal bone in his wrist, deep lacerations to his arm that required 17 stitches, and lacerations to his triceps and ribcage.

Both are expected to recover. Neighbors told WPEC’s Katie Bente that Waters is scheduled to be released from the hospital on Thursday.

“Her friend Joe, who was there, she said, basically saved her life,” Halvorsrød said. “She’s fine. She’s barking orders for the farm, so I guess she’s fine.”

Jasso was charged with two counts of attempted first-degree premeditated murder and is being held without bail in the Palm Beach County Jail.