A 32-year-old homeless man was arrested after he was spotted prowling with a flashlight near several Dunnellon homes.
On Saturday, February 26 at around 10:50 p.m., a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to the area of SW 95th Avenue and SW 152nd Place in reference to a suspicious person who was shining a flashlight into nearby yards.
The deputy approached the intersection in a patrol car and observed a man, later identified as Zachary Scott Powell, who was holding a flashlight near the roadway. He was wearing a backpack and was standing in a wooded area on the southwest corner of the intersection.
When Powell noticed the patrol car, he grabbed a machete from the ground and began running into the woods. The deputy chased after Powell on foot and issued multiple verbal commands to stop.
Powell continued running and lost his footing due to the thickness of the brush. When he fell down, the deputy was able to secure him in handcuffs.
While the deputy escorted Powell back to the patrol car, he stated that he ran away because he saw a bear. Powell later told another deputy that he was running from a dog.
When the deputy read Powell his Miranda warning, Powell had a difficult time understanding it. The deputy proceeded to ask Powell if he lived in the area, and he gave the deputy several partial addresses that could not be verified.
Powell then stated that he was homeless and lived in the nearby woods.
According to the MCSO report, the deputy observed shoe impressions on the dirt road that traveled up and down the roadway near the homes, and those impressions appeared to be consistent with Powell’s shoes. The deputy did not locate any paw marks that were consistent with a bear or dog.
A witness told the deputy that Powell had been observed walking northbound on SW 95th Avenue and he was shining a flashlight into a neighbor’s yard.
Powell was arrested and his backpack was searched. Inside, the deputy located three small Ziploc bags which contained a white crystal-like substance that later field-tested positive for methamphetamine. A broken pipe was located, and residue found on the inside of the pipe also field-tested positive for methamphetamine.
He was also in possession of chewable gummies which field-tested positive for marijuana.
Powell was transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $5,000 bond. He is facing a felony charge for possession of a controlled substance along with misdemeanor charges for loitering or prowling, possession of marijuana (20 grams or less), and possession of drug paraphernalia.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.