A 79-year-old Silver Springs man was arrested last week after he allegedly pointed a replica gun at a Dollar Tree cashier while paying for a can of soda.

On Friday, September 6, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to the Dollar Tree located at 15928 E Highway 40 in Silver Springs in reference to an alleged incident involving a firearm. Upon arrival, the deputy made contact with a female employee who advised that earlier in the week, at around 12:30 p.m. on September 4, a customer had pointed a gun at her, according to the arrest report.

According to the victim’s statement, a customer, later identified as Henry Jay Ledbetter, had entered the store and “waited until she was alone” before approaching the cash register. He then grabbed a can of soda and took a sip before handing it to the cashier.

Moments later, Ledbetter allegedly took out a “silver revolver” and pointed it at the victim while saying, “This is a stick up.” She told the deputy that she responded by stating, “The f*** it is, not today,” according to the report.

The victim advised that she moved away from Ledbetter’s direction, and she was “in fear of getting hurt.” The report stated that Ledbetter then put the weapon away and exited the store.

The deputy observed video surveillance footage of the incident, which showed Ledbetter approaching the cash register. He was allegedly holding a can in his left hand and a “revolver” in his right hand.

In the report, the deputy noted that the “revolver” appeared to be real and lacked any markings, such as an orange tip, that would lead someone to believe that it was fake.

The deputy further noted that Ledbetter was observed on the footage pointing the weapon at the victim. When the victim began backing away from him, Ledbetter placed the weapon in his right pocket before paying for his beverage and leaving the store, according to the report.

During an investigation, the sheriff’s office was able to positively identify the suspect in this case as Ledbetter. On Sunday, September 8, several MCSO deputies responded to Ledbetter’s home and made contact with him.

The report stated that Ledbetter initially claimed that he “only purchased a drink” at the Dollar Tree at the time of the incident. After further questioning, he allegedly admitted to having a “replica gun” in his possession.

Ledbetter allegedly claimed that he “gave” the replica gun to the victim after stating, “This is a stick up.” According to Ledbetter, he was “joking” with the victim and “did not mean to scare her,” according to the report.

After being read his Miranda rights, Ledbetter reiterated that he had pointed the replica gun at the victim as a joke, and he further stated that he did not want to harm the victim.

An MCSO deputy located the replica gun inside Ledbetter’s home. The report stated that it was small and resembled a “real revolver.”

Ledbetter was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail. He was released the following day on his own recognizance, and he is being charged with attempting to commit a third-degree felony.

On Tuesday, October 8, Ledbetter is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m., according to jail records.