A barefoot panhandler was arrested for the third time after begging near The Villages.
Alex Moulton, 24, of Summerfield, was arrested Monday afternoon when he was spotted at the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 441 and SE Hwy. 42, not far from Mulberry Grove Plaza, according to an arrest report from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Moulton was holding a sign asking for money and standing in the median. He was barefoot and within 10 inches of vehicles traveling in the busy intersection. He was approaching drivers at the intersection and causing a “traffic hazard,” the report said.
There is a trespass authorization for that intersection and medians from the Florida Department of Transportation. Moulton was issued a trespass warning in December and warned to stay away from the intersection.
When he was taken into custody and booked at the Marion County Jail, Moulton admitted he has been arrested two other times at the same intersection. He was released from the Marion County Jail in January after spending 11 days behind bars for trespassing at that intersection.
A woman living in The Villages was arrested while panhandling in December at the same intersection. Last year, a Community Development District 4 supervisor aired his concern about panhandlers at that location.
More than a decade ago, Marion County passed an anti-panhandling ordinance, but it was the subject of a legal challenge. The panhandling ordinance required panhandlers to obtain a license, pay a fee, and provide personal information. The ordinance also prohibited panhandling in certain areas and at certain times. However, the ordinance was challenged in court and later repealed.
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