A Summerfield man was jailed Monday after allegedly threatening a man who was cutting a lawn and the neighbor who let him take refuge inside her residence.
One of the victims told Marion County sheriff’s deputies that the other victim was cutting her lawn when 26-year-old Jeremy Michael Saunders showed up and started chasing him around her yard. She said she let the victim come into her house and told Saunders to stop and leave her property. She said he called her a “bitch,” picked up a wooden table and threatened to kill her while demanding that the lawn cutter come back outside, a sheriff’s office report states.
The woman said she was in fear that Saunders was going to follow through with his threat. She said her fiancé came out of their residence and put himself between her and Saunders, who then left the area, the report says.
A deputy made contact by phone with the victim who had been cutting the lawn when the incident took place. He said was in fear and wouldn’t return to the area. He claimed Saunders called him a derogatory name and threatened to kill him. He added that Saunders chased him around the property until he ran inside the residence, the report says.
Deputies responded to Saunders’ residence in the 6600 block of S.E. 139th Lane and after being read his rights, he agreed to speak with them. He said his wife was upset with the male victim because he had driven his lawn mower through their yard. He said he went to the neighbor’s house to tell the victim to avoid cutting through his yard in the future, the report says.
Deputies questioned Saunders about the wooden tray, which was located on the side of the road near the victim’s residence. He claimed it was his neighbor’s trash and he only kicked it back onto his property. He denied picking up the table or making any threats, according to the report.
Saunders was placed under arrest and seated in the back of a deputy’s patrol vehicle. A short time later, deputies heard loud banging noises coming from the vehicle and upon checking on Saunders, they found the door handle had been broken off. Saunders admitted to breaking the handle, valued at $20, and offered to fix it. He was then transported to the Marion County Jail and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, simple assault and criminal mischief. He was being held on $3,000 bond and his next court date hasn’t yet been set, jail records show.
