Man who tried to harm woman with machete in Cleveland Avenue parking lot sentenced to 20 years

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has announced a swift and decisive verdict in the case against Floyd Cloud, who was found guilty on six counts, including Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Knife During Felony, and Cruelty to Children in the Third Degree. The jury deliberated for a mere 45 minutes before delivering their verdict.

In the courtroom, Judge Paige Whitaker handed down a 20-year sentence to Cloud, with 13 years to be served in prison and the remaining time on probation. Cloud's status as an A and C recidivist added gravity to the sentencing.

The incident that led to Cloud's conviction revolved around a tumultuous relationship between the 62-year-old defendant and Angelica Hargrove, the victim. The two had briefly lived together, during which Hargrove allowed Cloud to store his belongings in her storage unit. However, tensions arose when Hargrove moved out, and Cloud struggled to retrieve his possessions due to a lack of access codes.

Frustration mounted as Cloud failed to appear for scheduled appointments to collect his belongings, culminating in accusations of property theft against Hargrove. In the days preceding the incident, Cloud sent a series of menacing text messages to the victims.

On July 23, 2022, around 7 a.m., a fateful encounter unfolded in a Walmart parking lot on Cleveland Avenue, close to the storage facility. Hargrove met with her child's father, Frank Jones, to retrieve an EBT card. At the time, she was behind the wheel of Jones's Dodge Charger, with her 4-year-old son safely secured in a booster seat.

Jones arrived in his work truck, accompanied by a co-worker, parking toward the rear of the lot. Moments later, Cloud arrived on the scene, exiting his vehicle while brandishing a machete. Initially, Cloud directed his menacing actions toward the child's father, prompting Jones to retrieve a baseball bat for self-defense.

Cloud then struck the windshield of the vehicle where Hargrove and her child were seated. Subsequently, he returned to his car, maneuvered it, and collided with Hargrove's vehicle. After a brief exit from the parking lot, Cloud returned, again colliding with the mother and child's car. His vehicle eventually stalled, prompting the child's father and co-worker to intervene and disarm the defendant while he remained inside his car.

The confrontation escalated further when Jones's colleague seized the machete's blade with his bare hands, resulting in a severe laceration to his upper arm that required sutures and continues to cause him pain.

During the trial, prosecutors presented compelling evidence, including surveillance footage from Walmart that corroborated the victims' accounts of the incident. Additionally, a cell phone video captured by a bystander, an aerial map of the parking lot and surrounding area, photographs of the crime scene (including the damaged Charger), pictures of injuries sustained, and medical records were introduced.

District Attorney Fani T. Willis remarked on the profound trauma experienced by the 4-year-old child who witnessed the vicious attack. She expressed relief that there were no fatalities and expressed hope that Cloud's conviction would offer solace to the victims on their journey toward full physical and mental recovery.