SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A judge in Seminole County this week sentenced a man to 8 and a half years in prison for trapping a Seminole County gas station clerk hostage in 2024 and slashing her face and neck.
Randal Lawton, 64, pleaded no contest to kidnapping, aggravated battery, and resisting an officer without violence.
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Prosecutors said Lawton lured a RaceTrac gas station clerk into the men’s bathroom in June of 2024. They say Lawton shoved her to the ground and sliced her neck and chin with a box cutter, causing her to lose a tooth. Investigators say Lawton called her “Eve,” telling her, “You are sorry for your sins, Eve.”
A customer and a co-worker called police, who busted the door down.
Two police officers later resigned for hesitating and waiting for more officers before going after Lawton.
Lawton’s public defender attempted to mount an insanity defense, with an expert saying Lawton suffered from a neurological disorder caused by years of alcohol abuse.
In addition to the prison sentence, Lawton was sentenced to two years of GPS-monitored probation. He was also required to submit to a psychological evaluation after completing the prison sentence, and to accept any follow-up treatment recommended as part of his probation.