An Ocala man with a history of domestic violence was arrested last week after reportedly going on a destructive rampage over a woman ending her relationship with him.
Raymond Anthony McDonald, 31, of 1755 SW 87th Place, was charged Wednesday with criminal mischief with property damage of $1,000 or more, burglary, first-degree petit theft of between $100 and $300, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana and possession of drug equipment.
The victim’s brother told a Marion County sheriff’s deputy that McDonald showed up on their property accompanied by a male witness. He said when the victim told McDonald their relationship was over and she didn’t want him in the house, he lost his temper and began throwing items around the yard. He then picked up a patio chair and used it to smash out the rear window of her 2001 Chrysler Town and Country minivan, a sheriff’s office report states.
The deputy observed that the van had a cracked windshield, a shattered rear windshield, and four slashed tires. The turn signal control and gear shift were broken off and laying in the yard near the van, and the windshield wipers were bent. The victim estimated the damage to be at least $3,000.
The victim’s brother told the deputy he might have caught the incident on a hunting game camera attached to a tree facing the victim’s vehicle, but when they went to check the camera, it had been ripped off the tree and stolen. The deputy noted that part of the camera’s strap mount was still there. The value of the camera was estimated at $150.
The victim and her brother told the deputy that McDonald was staying at a home around the corner on SW 87th Place. Deputies responded to that residence and talked to McDonald, who said he didn’t touch the van other than to remove the car battery that he allegedly paid for. He also said he didn’t take anyone’s game camera, and that he had two in his room that were his. McDonald said he was so sure he didn’t take it, that the deputy could search his room for the camera, and that he would even confess to the possession of marijuana and paraphernalia that would be found during the search, the report says.
During the search, a deputy found a small clear plastic bag containing several rolled roaches containing a green leafy substance that tested positive for marijuana. The stolen game camera was also in plain view, sitting completely open on McDonald’s dresser, the report says, adding that McDonald said the victim who accompanied him to the incident location could vouch for him and corroborate his story.
The witness told the deputy that McDonald went to the victim’s home because he wanted to talk to her. He said after several minutes of waiting, he realized the victim was refusing to come outside and talk to him. The witness said McDonald became enraged and began tearing objects out of the victim’s minivan and breaking them by throwing them. He said McDonald tried to rip the seats out of the van but was unable to, and that he began smashing the exterior of the vehicle, slashed all four tires and smashed all the windows, the report says.
The witness also said he saw McDonald with the game camera. He said he tried to stop McDonald by reminding him he was going to be financially responsible for all the damage, the report says.
McDonald has been arrested 16 times since 2011, including six times for domestic violence offenses. He remains in the Marion County Jail on $21,000 bond. His next appearance in Marion County Court is scheduled for April 23.