A Villager has been sentenced in a golf cart road rage altercation.
John William Marcus, 70, who lives at 1458 Abercrombie Way, was arrested Dec. 5. at the FishHawk Recreation Center. When Sumter County sheriff’s deputies arrived at the recreation center on Buttonwood Run, they found Marcus with his fist raised in an aggressive manner with a person on the phone with 911 dispatch. Deputies noticed the New Jersey native had a fixed blade knife in his back pocket.
Marcus had been traveling in a golf cart on St. Charles Place when he gestured for occupants of a second golf cart to pass him. When they attempted to pass his golf cart, Marcus sped up. Due to his “odd behavior,” the occupants of the second golf cart opted to stay behind Marcus’ golf cart. When they reached the intersection of St. Charles Place and Pennecamp Drive, Marcus got out of his golf cart and approached the second golf cart. He slapped the plastic curtain of their golf cart and demanded they get out, according to the arrest report. They asked Marcus to step back and return to his golf cart, but he instead began yelling profanities at them. He used his forearm to push the abdomen of a woman from the second golf cart. They fled to the FishHawk Recreation Center and dialed 911. Marcus reached the recreation center and approached them in an aggressive manner and threatened violence.
“I will kick your ass,” he said.
Marcus was arrested on a charge of simple assault.
Last week in Sumter County Court he entered a plea of no contest in the case. He was placed on six months probation.
Marcus had been arrested June 4, 2017 on charges of battery and criminal mischief after breaking the bifocals of a fellow Villager during an altercation over dog excrement in the Village of Liberty Park. At the time, Marcus told deputies, “I just snapped.” Marcus was ordered to undergo eight hours of anger management training and had to perform 20 hours of community service as a result of the 2017 altercation.
