An Ocala man jailed last year on a domestic battery charge was arrested again recently after he allegedly pulled up behind a woman at her children’s bus stop and started striking her vehicle with a large piece of steel rebar.
Eton Quran Johnson, 32, of 20 Locust Loop Drive, also led Marion County sheriff’s deputies on a 2.3-mile chase before being stopped and detained. He was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, criminal mischief with property damage of more than $1,000, and fleeing a law-enforcement officer with lights and siren active.
Johnson has two prior domestic battery arrests, including one in December 2019 after an argument that started when his lady friend wasn’t paying enough attention to him, according to jail records.
The victim told deputies she was picking up her children at around 3:22 p.m. when Johnson arrived at the location, started banging on her car with the rebar and yelled, “I’m going to (expletive deleted) kill you.” She said her youngest son was in the back seat of the vehicle and she was in fear for her life, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The victim described Johnson’s vehicle as a dark gray or black Nissan. While on the way to the incident location, another deputy observed a dark gray Nissan Sentra traveling northwest on SE Maricamp Road, unlawfully passing vehicles in the center turn lane and traveling faster than the posted speed limit, the report said.
Deputies in two vehicles caught up with the vehicle near the intersection of SE Maricamp and Bahia roads. Deputies in both vehicles activated lights and sirens to initiate a traffic stop, but Johnson continued northbound. He went 2.3 miles before turning into the driveway at 1060 Silver Road, where he was arrested without incident, according to the report.
An independent witness who also called 911 said Johnson arrived at the intersection and immediately started striking the victim’s vehicle with a “tire iron.” The witness also heard Johnson yell, “I’m going to …” but couldn’t hear the rest of the statement due to the sound of the “tire iron” hitting the vehicle, the report said.
A search of Johnson’s vehicle turned up a bundle of steel rebar in the trunk, with one loose piece in the back seat. The single piece had paint marks on it matching the color of the victim’s vehicle, according to the report.
After being read his Miranda warning, Johnson said he knew deputies were trying to stop him, but he was scared and wanted to go this aunt’s house on Silver Road. Johnson admitted to being in an argument with the victim but denied making any threats or striking her vehicle. He also said the lone piece of rebar in his back seat was, “the piece he had for the day,” the report said.
The victim’s vehicle is registered only to her, and Johnson has no vested interest in the vehicle. Damage was estimated to be $1,000 or more, according to the report.
Johnson was taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was released on $9,000 bond. He will appear in Marion County Court on Oct. 6.