Man fatally stabbed by teen after breaking into home, police say

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Police are investigating the death of a 34-year-old man after he broke into a Tampa home, they say.

On Tuesday, after midnight, Gerald Lee Gay slashed the tires of a vehicle and attempted to enter the home in the 1500 block of East Frierson Avenue, according to the Tampa Police Department.

The adult woman living inside the home knew Gay, investigators said. Burglary bars stopped him from entering through the rear bedroom window, but he then proceeded to kick in the front door.

Once inside, Gay “physically attacked” the woman, according to police. Her three children -- ages 12, 13, and 18 -- tried to intervene. One of the teenagers stabbed Gay with a steak knife "multiple times."

Gay was transported to a nearby hospital where he died from his injuries, according to a media release.

Police say the woman and her children have been cooperating, and no arrests have been made.