The lead guitarist for a death metal band has been arrested for breaking into a Hillsborough County home and then running toward a deputy with a knife after a fire broke out at his home nearby, according to deputies.
Patrick O'Brien, 53, reportedly forced himself into a home on Windflower Circle in the Northdale neighborhood at approximately 6:57 p.m. on Monday. There were two people in the house at the time. One of the victims told O'Brien to get out of the house immediately, at which point O'Brien pushed the other victim to the ground and ran into the backyard of the home. Deputies responded and O'Brien reportedly did not obey their commands and ran toward a deputy with a knife in his right hand. The deputy took O'Brien down by using an electronic control device on him and arrested him at the scene.
O'Brien was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon and burglary of an occupied dwelling with assault or battery.
O'Brien is the lead guitarist of death metal band, Cannibal Corpse. Death metal band Slayer had recently announced Cannibal Corpse as one of their opening acts on their upcoming farewell tour.
At the same time, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue was responding to a fire at a home on Norwood Drive in Northdale after a neighbor called 911 after she saw flames coming from the house. Deputies say O'Brien was living at 16311 Norwood Drive at the time of the fire and reportedly ran away from the home after officials arrived on scene to battle the fire.
Officials say there were military-style flamethrowers inside the home, making the fire much harder to battle for firefighters.
The home where the fire happened is less than .5 miles away from the home where O'Brien was arrested for burglary. It's an even shorter distance if you cross the Northdale Golf and Tennis Club golf course.
Deputies have not charged O'Brien in the house fire at this time.