A hit-and-run suspect was tracked down after he was caught on video at The Villages Charter School.
Richard Shane Wills, 33, of Summerfield, had been involved in a hit-and-run crash at about 10:30 a.m. Friday at County Road 466 near Morse Boulevard, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. The victim of the hit-and-run provided law enforcement with a description of Wills’ silver Nissan and a partial license plate number while continuing to follow it to The Villages Charter School.
A few minutes later, a second 911 call was received after Wills’ vehicle struck a large pole at the school, causing more than $2,500 in damage. Wills got out of the car and tried to enter the front door of the school. A school employee confronted Wills, who fled the scene. He went to the nearby Burger King restaurant where he dumped some of his clothing in a trash bin.
A semi-automatic handgun was discovered under a baseball cap in the vehicle. A wallet was found in the center console and it contained plastic bags which held heroin and cocaine. A pipe found in the vehicle tested positive for methamphetamine.
Wills has a long criminal history:
• He was arrested in 2018 after a chase by law enforcement ended in a crash in Marion County.
• He was arrested in 2016 after he was spotted looking in windows of cars parked at Target at Rolling Acres Plaza in The Villages. At the time of that arrest he had a BB gun in his pants.
• His driver’s license has been revoked since 2007 and he has been classified as a habitual traffic offender.
After Friday’s arrest, he was booked on multiple charges at the Sumter County Detention Center. Bond was set at $51,500.