A homeless man who bought beer, begged for money then passed out in a restroom was arrested at a local gas station.
A female attendant at the Chevron station on U.S. Hwy. 27/441 in Lady Lake called law enforcement shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday after a customer informed her that 44-year-old Gabriel Francisco Santiago was passed out in the restroom, according to an incident report from the Lady Lake Police Department.
Santiago first showed up at the service station at about 1:45 p.m. that day when he purchased two beers. He re-entered the business at about 2:30 p.m. and purchased additional beers. He then started to ask customers for money. When the attendant asked Santiago not to beg, he “began to cuss at her,” the report said.
She thought he had left the premises, but then a customer informed her that Santiago was passed out in the restroom.
When police arrived, Santiago had to be ordered four times to leave the service station. When officers attempted to take him into custody, Santiago resisted and had to be threatened with a taser.
During transport to the Lake County Jail, Santiago began to bang his head against a cage in the patrol car. The officer had to call Leesburg police for help and Santiago was placed in leg shackles.
The New York native was booked at the Lake County Jail on $1,000 bond on a charge of trespassing.
