A 31-year-old Belleview man was arrested after locking a disabled male victim inside a residence and stealing his vehicle.
On Monday, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a residence located on SE 122nd Place in Ocklawaha in reference to a suspicious incident.
The deputy spoke with a male victim through the window of the main door of his residence. According to the MCSO report, a large padlock was on the outside of the door which kept it from opening.
The victim stated that the door was the only accessible entrance to his home. He told the deputy that Jacob Anthony Pond had locked him inside and stole his vehicle.
According to the victim, Pond was helping him pack his belongings over the past week since he was selling his house.
While Pond was loading items into the victim’s vehicle, the victim heard the front door shut and immediately lock afterwards. The victim then watched Pond drive off in his vehicle.
The deputy observed through the window that the victim was in a wheelchair.
Marion County Fire Rescue arrived on scene and removed the padlock on the door. After a search of the residence, the MCSO report indicated that the deputy identified another address as a possible location to find Pond.
The deputy went to that location, which was on SE 126th Lane in Belleview, and Pond was found along with the victim’s vehicle.
During an interview, Pond admitted to locking the victim inside the home and stealing his vehicle. He told the deputy, “I was scared and needed to get out of there.”
When asked why he was scared of a man in a wheelchair, Pond said, “I don’t know.” He denied any altercation with the victim and said, “I just got scared and left.”
Pond was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $15,000 bond. He is facing felony charges for grand theft of a vehicle, false imprisonment of an adult, and crimes against a disabled adult.
A court date has been scheduled at 9 a.m. on January 22, 2022, according to jail records.