A resident of The Villages free on bond in a knife attack landed back behind bars after stealing a Villages Public Safety Department vehicle on an emergency call.
Jessie Charles Webb, 32, reportedly stole the emergency vehicle Wednesday afternoon while fire department personnel were on a medical call at the Santa Fe Surgery Center on County Road 466. The stolen vehicle, smaller than a conventional firetruck and routinely used on emergency calls, was later recovered.
It was the third vehicle stolen that afternoon by Webb, who was released in February on his own recognizance from the Lake County Jail.
Webb, who was arrested in 2019 after stealing a Community Watch vehicle in The Villages, initially stole a private electrical company bucket truck from Extra Space Storage on County Road 466 in Lady Lake, triggering a pursuit by law enforcement. Webb ditched the bucket truck and was on the run when he attempted to climb a fence near the Oakleaf Apartment Town Homes. He dropped a small dog and a backpack, which contained his identification.
He continued running to nearby Recreation Plantation where he found a maintenance golf cart which had the key in the ignition. He drove the golf cart down County Road 466 to the Santa Fe Surgery Center where he spotted the Villages Public Safety Department vehicle which had responded to a medical emergency. Webb got into the fire department vehicle and continued to flee from law enforcement. He was eventually apprehended at Lake Sumter Landing.
Webb has a long criminal history and was most recently arrested after holding a woman at knifepoint for several hours on New Year’s Day on the Historic Side of The Villages. She eventually broke free and ran to a gas station pleading for help. Officers found Webb in the carport of the St. Andrews Boulevard home where he was living. He had the bloody knife attached to his belt. He is scheduled to be back in Lake County Court on March 14.
After stealing the Community Watch vehicle, Webb was eventually sentenced to time served. He was released from jail in 2020.
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