A man was arrested at Lake Sumter Landing after claiming he owns The Villages.
Eric Wayne Watson, 37, of Oxford, was booked Tuesday at the Sumter County Detention Center on a charge of criminal mischief.
Watson was transported by ambulance to a local hospital following his arrest at about 4 a.m. June 9 at Lake Sumter Landing. He had been spotted at the square by a Sumter County sheriff’s deputy who inquired as to why Watson was out at that very early hour, according to an arrest report. Watson first claimed he was the owner of Cody’s Original Roadhouse restaurant and then claimed he was the owner of The Villages. Watson then stated that the deputy “was not a cop” and that he was trespassing on “his” property, the report said.
The deputy suspected Watson was under the influence of drugs and summoned an ambulance to the scene. He was temporarily placed in a patrol car, but became agitated and began yelling. He began kicking the door of the patrol car, causing damage to it.
Upon his discharge from the hospital, he was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center on $2,000 bond.
Watson was arrested earlier this year at the Walmart at Buffalo Ridge Plaza in The Villages. He had been banned from the store in 2018. Watson was arrested at the same store in 2019 after stealing vodka and fishing lures. He was also arrested in 2020 after trespassing at the store.