A kidnapping followed by a violent standoff shocked a neighborhood in The Villages in 2024.
James Savage, 55 was arrested March 16 at the conclusion of a 24-hour standoff at 7970 SE 174th Belhaven Loop in the Village of Chatham, which is in Marion County.
He fled there after allegedly kidnapping a woman from a home in the Village of Monarch Grove, which is in Sumter County. He shoved the woman into a Mercedes, setting in motion a manhunt that ended with the standoff that trashed the home of Lorraine Heroux, a widow who had befriended Savage. He has a long criminal history, including a 2020 conviction for exploitation of the elderly, involving a woman with dementia.
A judge in Marion County Court ultimately declared that Savage was not competent to stand trial. He was turned over for commitment through the Department of Children and Families.
