A Spring Hill man is behind bars after deputies say he broke into a house and attacked his ex-girlfriend and her mother.
Joseph Panarese, 53, is facing charges of home invasion robbery with a weapon and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
According to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, dispatchers received multiple 911 calls at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday indicating that two women had been injured in the area of 14443 Middle Fairway Drive in Spring Hill.
When deputies arrived, they found Kathleen Perkins, 55, at the home with traumatic injuries.
During this time, more 911 calls were coming in from residents, and dispatchers told deputies that Panarese ran from the home and was being chased by the other victim, identified as his ex-girlfriend, Samantha Perkins, 27.
Family members say Panarese attacked the women with a hammer.
"He was in the yard in front of the neighbors hitting her with a hammer," said Susan Perkins, Samantha's grandmother.
Deputies quickly saturated the area and spotted Panarese moments later as he tried to run across the Suncoast Parkway. He was quickly taken into custody.
Susan Perkins said Panarese had been stalking her granddaughter for years.
"If he couldn't have Samantha, nobody was going to have her," she said. "That's his statement."
After Panarese was taken into custody, he complained he'd suffered an injury while running from deputies. He was taken to Bayfront Health Brooksville for treatment, then later released and taken to the Hernando County Detention Center.
Both victims are expected to recover from their injuries. Susan Perkins said Kathleen is still in the hospital recovering and is no longer on life support.
The case remains under investigation.