A Tampa man was taken into custody on multiple felony charges after a heated disagreement at a villa in The Villages turned into a violent brawl over a woman’s electronics.
Anthony Lamar Bethune, 33, was detained late Thursday night after an altercation at a home on Leicester Terrace in the Belmont Villas in the Village of Belvedere.
According to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to the neighbourhood and discovered the victim sitting on the ground in a neighbouring driveway. She told deputies she was inside her home gathering her items to depart after a disagreement with Bethune.
She had placed her car keys, which were tied to a pink purse containing her driver’s licence and cash, inside her bra for safety. However, she claimed Bethune snatched the keys from her breast and attempted to take her iPhone X from her. During the subsequent scuffle, she lost her iPad Air, which Bethune allegedly took as well.
The woman informed authorities that Bethune struck her on the left side of her mouth during the battle, causing a red abrasion on her lower lip.
The Ohio native then left the house and got into his 2021 Chevy Silverado pickup vehicle. The woman claimed she followed him to the truck and reached through the driver’s side window after noticing her pink devices in his lap, demanding he return her $2,406. Instead, Bethune rolled up his window and drove away.
A deputy called Bethune and requested him to return to the scene. Bethune claimed the lady bit him, scraped his chest, and yanked his hair during the argument, but he was first hesitant to return and provide his account.
Deputies discovered Bethune strolling towards his truck as he returned to the neighbourhood. He denied punching the woman and continued his claim that she had attacked him, despite the fact that deputies noticed no visible scratches or bite marks.
Bethune also denied removing the woman’s electronics and authorised deputies to inspect his truck. While they could not find the missing phone, iPad, or keys, they did find a clear plastic bag containing marijuana and rolling papers in the driver’s door. Bethune did not possess a legitimate medical marijuana card.
Bethune has previously been convicted of battery, according to a criminal background check.
He was arrested for criminal violence (second or subsequent crime), felony grand theft, and misdemeanour marijuana possession.
He was booked into the Sumter County Detention Centre and initially held without bond.
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