A 20-year-old man and his 29-year-old partner are accused of staging the attack at an east Orlando apartment building.
ORLANDO, FL — A man who went to an apartment complex late Dec. 29 after exchanging Instagram messages was ambushed in a hallway, struck with an axe, stabbed and robbed, Orange County deputies said. Investigators arrested two suspects Wednesday and are searching for two others linked to the attack.
Deputies say the meeting was a setup involving an Orlando couple who used social media to draw the visitor to the University Park Apartments just off Colonial Drive. According to an arrest affidavit, the pair coordinated the encounter, confronted the man on a stairwell and signaled two masked accomplices to block his escape. The case is in its early stages, with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office collecting video evidence, executing a search warrant at the couple’s unit and documenting injuries that sent the victim to a hospital. The incident, which unfolded two days before New Year’s Eve, led to multiple felony charges and an ongoing search for the remaining suspects.
Investigators said the messages resumed around 11:30 p.m. Dec. 29 when the woman told the man she had broken up with her boyfriend and invited him over. As he followed her upstairs, a man with a gun told him not to move, according to the affidavit. The visitor ran down the stairs and encountered two men, one holding an axe and another a knife. A struggle spilled into a courtyard and toward a fence. The victim later told reporters the assault was “absolutely terrifying,” and said he thought he would be killed. He suffered a stab wound to his upper back and a head injury consistent with being hit by the blunt edge of an axe, deputies wrote. His phone, wallet and keys were taken, and his Jeep was stolen and later found abandoned. A bystander called 911 as he fled to safety, deputies said.
Deputies identified the suspects as Nicholas Lavallee, 20, and Anne Aksell, 29. Both were booked on charges including robbery with a firearm, third-degree grand theft of a motor vehicle, battery and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Investigators said Aksell first claimed she feared an assault when she brought the man upstairs, but later admitted she and Lavallee arranged to “beat up” the visitor. Detectives said Lavallee acknowledged wanting to “teach this guy a lesson” after seeing messages to his wife. A search of the couple’s apartment turned up a black hoodie that matched surveillance images, a loaded handgun in an unlocked safe and black lingerie and boots similar to items seen in a neighbor’s Ring video, according to the affidavit. Deputies said the two additional men, known by nicknames, have not been located.
The confrontation took place at the University Park Apartments, a large complex in east Orange County near the University of Central Florida and multiple student housing corridors. Deputies responded just after midnight Dec. 30 to reports of a violent robbery. Neighbors shared doorbell footage showing a woman in lingerie on the stairwell and a figure in a black hooded sweatshirt stating, “We’re doing it right here in this hallway,” according to investigators. The records say the victim’s injuries included a contusion to the head and a deep cut that required stitches; he later displayed bruises and staples in post-incident photos. Deputies recovered the stolen vehicle nearby. No gunfire was reported, and no other residents were hurt. The sheriff’s office has not released the names of the two masked men.
Lavallee and Aksell were arrested Wednesday following interviews and a court-approved search of their unit. Both remained jailed pending first appearances and possible bond decisions. Prosecutors are reviewing the case for formal filings that could include additional counts related to the stolen vehicle and the use of a deadly weapon. Detectives plan to pull more camera footage from the complex, examine phones and social media accounts tied to the messages, and seek tips to identify the two other men involved. The sheriff’s office said further updates would come after forensic reviews and additional interviews are completed.
Residents described a heavy deputy presence the morning after the attack and said investigators canvassed stairwells for cameras and witnesses. One neighbor told reporters the commotion started with shouts on an upper landing before people ran toward the parking lot. “It was chaos for a few minutes,” the neighbor said, declining to be named because the suspects remain at large. The victim, identified as James Isaacs, said he jumped a fence to escape as one assailant threatened to shoot him. “It was fight or flight,” Isaacs said. He said he is recovering from the stab wound and head injury and expects to miss work while he heals.
As of Friday morning, authorities said the pair in custody face robbery and aggravated battery counts while detectives search for the two additional suspects. Further court documents and charging decisions are expected early next week. The sheriff’s office said it will release new details when investigators confirm identities of the outstanding suspects and complete a more detailed timeline.
Author note: Last updated January 2, 2026.