A Villager has been arrested after trimming her neighbor’s trees in an ongoing dispute that has prompted multiple calls to law enforcement.
Janice Frances McKee, 78, was arrested on charges of criminal mischief and trespassing Thursday evening at her home at 1301 Fontana Court in the Village of Hacienda East.
The neighbor told Sumter County sheriff’s deputies that the Buffalo, N.Y. native came onto his property “and began cutting his tree down with tree loppers.” He said McKee had entirely cut down another peach tree the previous day. That tree was very close to their property line, so there were no arrests that day.
However, the tree that McKee was trimming on Thursday was 19 feet away from the property line. The neighbor had a photo of McKee on his property, next to the tree with “tree loppers and a garbage can,” according to the arrest report.
McKee had been issued trespass warnings on May 20 and June 1, warning her to stay off her neighbor’s property.
The report noted that deputies have been called to the two residences five times since May 20.
McKee and her husband purchased their home in 2016 for $258,000. He died one year later.
McKee was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center and released after posting $2,000 bond.