A 63-year-old Marion County man is behind bars on a felony burglary charge after he allegedly attacked another man on a front porch and then forced his way inside the residence to continue the assault.
The incident reportedly occurred at around 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 19, at a residence located on SW 47th Street in Dunnellon. The suspect in this case, identified as 63-year-old Randy Allen Campbell, Sr., arrived at the victim’s home unannounced and sat on the front porch, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office arrest report.
The victim reportedly stood inside the doorway of the home, where he and Campbell began arguing over prior claims Campbell had made regarding the victim’s behavior. After briefly stepping away, the victim told deputies that he returned to the door and stepped out onto the porch.
According to the report, Campbell immediately stood up, lunged at the victim, and punched him twice in the face and head. The force of the blows allegedly knocked the victim backward over the doorway threshold, causing him to stumble into a TV stand and fall onto the living room floor inside the residence.
The victim alleged that Campbell charged through the front door into the home and repeatedly struck the victim’s head and face with a closed fist. A witness inside the home, who confirmed the sequence of events, screamed at Campbell to stop, reportedly yelling, “You’re going to kill him.”
Moments later, Campbell reportedly walked back onto the porch, where he sat in a chair for around 20 to 30 minutes before returning to his vehicle and leaving the area.
The report stated that the victim sustained multiple injuries that included bruised eyes, blood in the white of his left eye, a possible broken nose, a laceration on the bridge of his nose, and severe facial swelling.
When contacted by law enforcement, Campbell reportedly claimed that he was acting in self-defense, alleging that the victim charged at him first. However, an MCSO corporal noted in the report that Campbell allegedly admitted to punching the victim, entering the residence, and striking the victim several more times.
Campbell was placed under arrest and booked into Marion County Jail, where he remains in custody. His bond has been set at $50,000, and he is being charged with burglary with assault or battery.
A court date for Campbell has not yet been scheduled, according to jail records.