A 62-year-old Villager wielding a 15-inch knife was jailed after two women locked themselves in a bedroom closet to protect themselves while waiting for law enforcement to arrive.
Sumter County sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call at about 3 p.m. Monday from the women in a home on Barcelona Drive in the Village of Hacienda.
One of the women said she had been putting up Christmas decorations when Jack Latham Wallace began staring at her, according to an arrest report. He then told her to leave the residence and dragged her by her hair through the home. The second woman emerged from another room and saw this taking place. He picked up the woman’s reading glasses and intentionally broke them, according to the arrest report. He went into a bedroom and came out with the knife and began threatening the women with it. They were “begging and pleading” with Wallace not to hurt them before they sought refuge in the closet.
When deputies arrived, both women were crying uncontrollably, Wallace had fled the residence, but was located a short time later at the intersection of Corona Avenue and San Juan Drive. It appeared he had been drinking and he admitted to having consumed five beers. He was found to be in possession of marijuana and a pipe for smoking marijuana. He admitted the marijuana belonged to him and said he uses it for pain. He said he had only intended to scare the women with the knife.
He was arrested on charges of aggravated assault with a weapon, battery, criminal mischief, possession of marijuana and possession of drug equipment.
He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center on $53,000 bond.
He had been convicted in 2001 on a charge of battery in Lake County.
