Posted on August 1, 2020

Father and Son Are Beaten to Death by Burglar with a Baseball Bat as 10-Year-Old Grandson Calls 911 and Locks Himself in Bathroom

Snejana Farberov, Daily Mail, July 31, 2020

Ezekiel Hopkins

Ezekiel Hopkins

A man has been accused of beating to death a Florida homeowner and his adult son, and injuring his wife with a baseball bat while trying to steal a car.

Officers were summoned to a home in the 2900 block of Sunbittern Court in Windemere on Thursday night after getting a 911 call from the slain homeowner’s 10-year-old grandson reporting a violent burglary in progress.

A dispatcher instructed the child to hide in a bathroom until police arrived. The boy was unharmed.

The suspect, identified as Ezekiel Hopkins, 34, was found inside another bathroom inside the victim’s home.

A preliminary investigation has revealed that Hopkins was trying to steal a vehicle at around 11pm when he was confronted by the owners, John and Lisa Savey, both aged 61, reported WFTV.

Police said the intruder bludgeoned John to death with a baseball bat, then chased his wife into the house and attacked her as well, inflicting serious injuries.

John and Lisa’s 30-year-old son, James, was at home at the time and was brutally beaten by Hopkins, according to police. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

John’s grandson, who is James’ nephew, alerted the police and stayed on the phone with the dispatcher while hiding in the bathroom.

Following his arrest, Hopkins was transported to Health Central Hospital in Ocoee after possibly ingesting bleach. He faces two counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault.

Court records in Orange County indicate that Hopkins has a prior history of arrests on felony charges dating back to at least 2009.

He was previously convicted of violating a protection order, resitting an officer and tampering with evidence.

In 2012, Hopkins was acquitted of battery and aggravated stalking.

According to his LinkedIn page, John Savey had served as managing partner at Longview Outdoor Advertising Company for the past 20 years.

He had a degree in advertising from Ohio University and served as CEO of Signal Outdoor Advertising in New York City during the mid-aughts.

John Savey

Screengrab via LinkedIn