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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Troubled Ocala man arrested for third time in 2020

Jimmie Lee Stevens

An Ocala man with a violent history was arrested for the third time in 2020 after he allegedly busted a man’s lip during an argument on Sunday.

Jimmie Lee Stevens Jr., 32, was charged with battery (second or subsequent offense). He was previously arrested in June for kicking a paramedic during an ambulance ride, and again in November for punching a woman with a deputy watching. He has more than a dozen other prior arrests since 2007, according to Marion County Jail records.

The victim in the latest incident told a Marion County sheriff’s deputy that law enforcement had been to his house earlier in the day due to Stevens causing a verbal altercation and throwing things around because he was intoxicated.

The victim said not long after the deputies left, Stevens came into the kitchen and caused another argument. He said Stevens told him he was going to kill him, then came towards him and pushed him into the kitchen counter with both hands. The victim said Stevens then punched him in the mouth with a closed fist, causing his lip to split open and bleed, according to the sheriff’s office report.

The victim said Stevens then grabbed him by the neck but did not constrict his airway. He said he was able to get away and go outside to call 911. The deputy observed the victim’s lip was split open and swollen where he was punched and there was blood coming from the split. The victim said Stevens had been staying with him after his November altercation, the report said.

The deputy approached Stevens inside the residence and immediately noticed the smell of alcohol coming from him. When asked what happened, he said he came into the kitchen and the victim started an argument with him. He said they were both swinging at each other and he may have hit the victim in the lip during the altercation, according to the report.

Based on the injuries to the victim, Stevens was arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was being held Tuesday on $1,000 bond. He’s due to appear in Marion County Court on Jan. 26.