A 73-year-old Villager who was lending a hand to a lady friend was arrested after allegedly wielding a tire iron in a dispute with another man.
James Edward Rogers, who lives at 831 Ramos Drive in the Village of Rio Grande, is free on $15,000 bond following his arrest this past Tuesday after turning himself in on a warrant charging him with aggravated battery.
His arrest stems from an April 2 incident in which he was helping a woman move her belongings out of a residence in Tavares, according to an affidavit of probable cause from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. A 911 call was received after a man was injured when Rogers struck him in the face with a four-way tire iron. The man suffered “multiple lacerations” to the face and head. Rogers also allegedly pulled a handgun out of his pocket. Another man at the scene subdued Rogers before law enforcement arrived.
The injured man was transported to Advent Health/Waterman Hospital in Tavares and suffered “permanent scarring to the face,” the affidavit said.
During a first appearance on the charge in Lake County Court, Rogers entered a plea of not guilty.
