A Silver Springs man who was off his mental health medication was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly chased a woman with a machete during a violent outburst.
Marion County sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence on NE Highway 314, where the man who called 911 said 25-year-old William Keith Holly was chasing people around with a machete. The caller said Holly has been off his medicine for about a month and was acting crazy, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The victim told the deputy that Holly was chasing her with the machete, acting crazy, and it put her in fear. She said he was off his medicine and becoming more violent. The victim said Holly also broke a window to the house. She said she has been trying to get him to go to The Centers for a month, but he refuses to go, the report said.
The victim confirmed she and Holly live together. She would not provide a recorded or written statement. The witness who called 911 said he didn’t want to pursue charges and also refused to provide a written statement, according to the report.
Holly left the location on foot just before the deputies arrived. He eventually called in from another neighborhood and said he was having a mental breakdown. A deputy responded to Holly’s location and detained him, the report said.
The deputy observed the machete Holly used in the incident and it was about 2 feet long. The deputy also saw the broken window pane to the left of the front door. Both were consistent with the victim’s statements, according to the report.
Holly was checked by medics for numerous open sores on his body. It was determined he was competent enough to be held responsible for his actions, so he was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. Holly was taken to the Marion County Jail, where he is being held on $5,000 bond, and will appear in Marion County Court on March 23.