A Lady Lake man was arrested for attempted homicide after allegedly shooting a woman in the neck when she tried to walk away during an argument.
Officers responded to a residence on South Warfield Avenue regarding shots fired around 11:25 p.m. Saturday, according to an arrest report from the Wildwood Police Department. The caller advised that they heard 40-year-old Robert Anthony Morgan verbally arguing with a woman, followed by a single gunshot.
Upon arrival, the officers found the female victim in the driveway of the home. They swept the residence and saw Morgan crawling under a partially open garage-style door before he jumped into the backyard pool. They were able to get him out of the water and detain him, after which the victim was transported to the Ocala Regional Medical Center with a life-threatening gunshot wound to her neck, the report said.
A detective at the scene was shown a trail of what looked like blood at the intersection of South Warfield Avenue and Wolfe Street, which led to the driveway of the home. There was also a black rifle lying on the floor of the garage, the report said.
Four juveniles and the victim’s mother were inside the residence at the time of the shooting. They had all been taken to the Wildwood Police Department for further investigation, starting with an interview with the mother. She began by stating there was an extensive history of domestic abuse between Morgan and the victim, the report said.
At the time of the shooting, the mother was in her room. Her grandson approached her to say Morgan had just slapped the victim, and she could hear them outside arguing. She looked out her window to see the victim leaving the driveway and walking down the road, the report said.
Just as she turned around to go outside, she heard a single gunshot, the report said. She rushed out of the residence, where Morgan was dragging the victim back onto the property into the driveway. She asked if he had called an ambulance, to which he replied, “She’s fine.”
Morgan also told the mother not to call the police, or he would have to shoot her, too. Once law enforcement arrived, she saw he had jumped into the pool. She had seen what she believed to be blood on him before he did this, the report said.
A short time later, Morgan was taken to the Wildwood Police Department for an interview. He had no shirt or shoes, and there were visible cuts on his left and right hands. There were bruises on both his arms, as well, and staining consistent with blood in his hair. He ultimately invoked his rights and refused to speak with a detective, the report said.
A subsequent check of his criminal history revealed previous felony convictions for three counts of battery in Jan. 2009, retail grand theft in May 2010, and possession of a firearm and ammunition in Nov. 2018, the report said.
As of the time of the report at 4:05 a.m. Sunday, the victim underwent surgery and was in a medically induced paralytic state for recovery.
Morgan has been charged with attempted homicide, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, possession of weapon or ammo by convicted felon, and firing weapon in public or on residential property. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center and is being held without bond.
He was also arrested in Dec. 2017 after reportedly using his toddler daughter as a human shield against the police at Dollar General.