A Dunnellon man was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly sent text messages to a woman threatening to kill her and burn down her house.
The victim told a Marion County sheriff’s deputy she and Daniel Arnold Patterson, 50, of 11744 N. Ohio St., had been arguing all day over the ownership of property he left behind when he moved out of a camper on her property in Ocala.
The victim said Patterson became upset when she told him he couldn’t have the violin that belonged to her father. She showed the deputy the phone to review the messages sent by Patterson, which included, “Immediately coming to kill you tonight,” “I’m killing all you,” and “Burning you out of the house .. good luck,” according to the sheriff’s office report.
All of the messages were sent earlier Tuesday from a phone number under the contact “Danny.” The victim said Patterson also had been engaged in several conversations over the phone and sent text messages to her boyfriend. The deputy reviewed the messages sent to the boyfriend and there were several that referred to meeting him in person and handling the situation hand to hand, the report said.
Deputies went to Patterson’s home in Dunnellon, where he gave them permission to review the messages sent from his phone. While talking with the deputies, Patterson said, “I said some bad things myself.” He later excitedly said, “I threatened to come and burn their house down,” according to the report.
Patterson was arrested and charged with making a written threat by electronic means to kill or do bodily harm. He was taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was being held Thursday on $5,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in Marion County Court on Dec. 29.