A 72-year-old Ocklawaha man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly firing at a shotgun at a vehicle occupied by a man who used to live in his house.
Charles Robert Hill, of 11796 141st St., was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. He told a Marion County sheriff’s deputy that the victim threatened him earlier in the week, and when he found the victim on his property, he fired a shot at the vehicle to make him leave, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The victim said he was staying on the property next to Hill’s home and was not on his property. He said he used to live at Hill’s residence and is currently homeless in living in a neighbor’s green Ford Ranger. The victim said Hill walked up to the vehicle, pointed the shotgun in his face and said, “Get the (expletive deleted) out of here,” the report said.
The victim said Hill then fired the shotgun at the front driver’s-side tire, flattening it. He said he tried to back up and flee in the vehicle but only made it 100 feet before he had to abandon it. He said he thought he was going to be killed, according to the report.
The deputy spoke with Hill again and asked him if he aimed the shotgun at the victim through the car window, and he replied, “I probably did.” When asked if a reasonable person in the victim’s situation would be scared, Hill said, “I hope so.” He said his intention was to scare the victim from coming back to the residence, the report said.
The neighbor who owns the Ford Ranger where the victim was staying said he saw Hill come out of his residence with the shotgun and fire it at the vehicle’s tire. Hill was taken to the Marion County Jail, where he is being held on $5,000 bond. He’ll appear in Marion County Jail on Dec. 10.