A 71-year-old man was arrested for trespassing after he allegedly damaged the windshield of a vehicle belonging to one of his neighbors.
Police responded to an undisclosed residence in Fruitland Park in reference to a trespass complaint at about 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, August 24, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Prior to their arrival, police were notified that the suspect, Rodney Floyd Burris, had already been trespassed from the property on February 25 of this year.
Once at the scene, the officer spoke with a male victim about the incident, which occurred at about 11:00 p.m.
The victim said he heard a loud bang coming from the carport area of his residence and that his cellphone alerted him to motion detected near the front of the home. The victim went outside to check the area and saw that the front windshield of a vehicle in the carport had been damaged.
The victim checked surveillance video and observed Burris walking onto the property near the front of the vehicle. After Burris is seen walking onto the property, the camera abruptly changes direction. The victim says he believes that Burris purposefully moved it.
A short time later, a long bang could be heard over the camera, and Burris was seen walking back to his residence, according to the report.
During an interview with Burris, who was standing in his driveway, the deputy noted that Burris had a strong odor of alcohol emitting from his breath as he spoke. The deputy also noticed that Burris had a small cut on his arm for which he refused medical attention.
While speaking with deputies, Burris advised that he obtained the cuts on his arm from falling in his residence. He went on to state that he understood that he was not allowed to be on the property from which he was trespassed.
After he was detained, Burris told police he only went to the residence because he was intoxicated. He further advised that the residence was in his and his wife’s name, however he has been living at 234 Mum Drive.
Burris was charged with trespass after warning and he was transported to the Lake County Jail. He is scheduled to appear in court on September 20.