Witnesses, video and a recovered cleaver are central to the early police case against Jeremiah Page.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A commercial stretch of Preston Highway became the center of an attempted murder case after police said a man attacked a stranger with a cleaver outside Okolona businesses.
The April 6 attack brought police, medical crews and frightened workers to the 7300 block of Preston Highway, where people nearby said the suspect had already caused concern earlier in the day. Jeremiah Page, 30, was arrested and charged with attempted murder and first-degree assault. Investigators said Page did not know the victim, who was walking on the sidewalk before the attack. Police said Page later told officers he struck the man because he was a foreigner.
Preston Highway runs through a busy part of southern Louisville, and the area where the attack occurred includes several businesses close to the sidewalk. That setting made the assault visible to people working nearby. Witnesses called 911 and gave police a description of the attacker and his weapon, according to investigative accounts. Video also captured the assault, police said. The open, public location left little time for confusion about where officers should respond, and the witness reports helped police find the suspect soon after the victim was injured.
Police said the victim was walking south when Page approached with a cleaver-knife at about 5:30 p.m. The attack was brief but severe, according to the arrest citation. Page allegedly struck the man twice in the head and once in the right shoulder. The victim did not speak English, but police said he could still communicate enough to describe the attack and corroborate what witnesses reported. He was not identified by name, and officials did not release his nationality, immigration status or reason for being on that stretch of Preston Highway.
The first people to aid the victim were not traditional emergency medical workers. Veterinary technicians from Preston Animal Hospital, which is near the scene, helped him after the assault. Their involvement underscored how close the attack was to local workplaces and how quickly bystanders became part of the response. The victim was later taken to a local hospital. Court records described his injuries as serious and life-threatening, while Louisville Metro Police later said the injuries were not life-threatening. Officials did not explain the difference in those descriptions but said the victim survived.
Page did not leave the area for long, according to police. Investigators said he fled north on Preston Highway and returned to a camp where he was staying. After speaking with witnesses, officers found him nearby. Police said he still had the cleaver believed to have been used in the attack. Officers arrested Page and read him his Miranda rights several times before questioning him. Investigators said he admitted the assault and gave statements that became key evidence in the first court filings.
Police said Page claimed the victim was trespassing on his land and that he owned all of Louisville. Investigators also said Page stated he had never met the man before and wanted to kill him because he was a foreigner. Those alleged remarks gave the case an added layer beyond a random assault. Public reports after the first court hearing did not show that prosecutors had filed a separate bias-related charge. The charges remained attempted murder and first-degree assault, both tied to the alleged use of the cleaver and the injuries suffered by the victim.
Workers nearby described Page’s conduct before the attack as erratic. Victor Meza, who worked near the scene, said Page came onto a business property and began making unusual statements. “He started getting loud and saying all kinds of things like he owned the place,” Meza said. “You could tell something was going on with him, so we just kicked him out.” Meza said he later saw first responders in the area. Police did not say whether the earlier episode was formally reported before the assault, and no public record said the victim had any contact with Page before the attack.
The courtroom phase began Tuesday, one day after the assault. Page pleaded not guilty. A judge set his bond at $750,000 and said the allegations were concerning, including the motive described in the police record. The judge also said Page had a history of mental health issues and had recently been at Central State. That statement became part of the early public account, but it did not settle any question about Page’s legal competency or responsibility. No mental health ruling was described in the first reports from court.
Howard Cobb, who works near the corridor, connected the scene to wider concerns about people in crisis. “Mental health is so overlooked for the marginalized, for the least,” Cobb said. His comments came after a case in which police records described both an alleged bias statement and statements that Page owned land that he did not appear to own. Investigators did not say whether Page had a fixed address beyond the camp where they found him. They also did not say how long he had been staying near Preston Highway or whether businesses had reported earlier problems involving him.
The case now rests on several early pieces of evidence. Police have witness accounts from workers who saw the attack and called 911. They have video that they said captured the assault. They recovered the cleaver from Page when they found him nearby, according to the citation. They also have the victim’s account, despite the language barrier, and Page’s alleged statements after officers read him his rights. The defense has not yet tested that evidence in a public hearing, and Page remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Important facts remained undisclosed after the first court appearance. Police did not name the victim or provide a full medical update. They did not say whether an interpreter was used after the initial response. Prosecutors did not say whether they were reviewing any added charge tied to the alleged statement about the victim being a foreigner. Officials also did not release the video or the full arrest citation to the public through the initial news reports. Those gaps left the broad outline clear while many details remained part of the pending case.
The Preston Highway corridor returned to normal traffic after the attack, but the criminal case continued with Page in custody, the victim alive and investigators holding the cleaver, video and witness statements for the next stage in court.
Author note: Last updated April 29, 2026.