A Leesburg man was arrested last week for assaulting a former co-worker at Walmart and damaging his vehicle because he suspected he was having a relationship with his girlfriend.
On the evening of May 15, the male victim was shopping at Walmart (2501 Citrus Boulevard in Leesburg), according to a Lake County affidavit. He reported to Leesburg police that he was confronted by a former co-worker, later identified as 37-year-old Jaredd Isaac Pitts.
Pitts suspected that his girlfriend and the victim were in a relationship and was angry about it. He confronted the victim inside the store and then retreated to the parking lot. There he began contacting police, the affidavit states.
Pitts walked up to the victim’s vehicle and began damaging it, kicking it several times before driving away. The victim stopped and waited for officers to arrive, the affidavit states.
The victim filed a report and stated that he wanted to pursue criminal action. He gave Pitts’ name but could not provide any other identifying information and was unsure of the spelling. Officers were also unable to identify Pitts, the affidavit states.
Instead, officers documented the damage to the vehicle. There was damage to both driver’s doors, fenders, and both side mirrors. The damage was estimated at about $3,000. The exact amount was unclear at the time of the affidavit, but was well over $1,000.
During the course of an LPD detective’s investigation, the victim gave Pitts a phone number that was used to identify him. The victim also gave the detective a photo of Pitts that matched his driver’s license photo. He was the registered owner of a gray 2017 Nissan Rogue, the affidavit states.
On July 19, the investigator retrieved video surveillance from Walmart of the incident. It showed the entire incident, starting with the victim arriving and parking his vehicle in the second parking space from the front in aisle 14. He then exited his vehicle, a white 2018 Jeep Cherokee, and walked into the store, the affidavit states.
As he approached the store, a gray Nissan utility truck quickly parked in front of the victim’s northbound Jeep and one space closer to the front of the store. The occupant, Pitts, jumped out and ran into Walmart. He walked through the store, found the victim and confronted him, the affidavit states.
The victim retreated into the parking lot and ran east toward Citrus Boulevard. Pitts aggressively approached him and assumed a fighting stance inside the store. He actively chased the victim out of the store. He gave up the pursuit in the parking lot and retreated to the victim’s vehicle, where he kicked it and the side mirrors, the affidavit states.
Another surveillance angle showed the victim and Pitts entering the first vestibule, creating a clear image of Pitts’ face that confirmed his identity. The final angle documented Pitts returning to his vehicle and driving out of the parking lot. His license plate was clearly visible and registered to him, the affidavit states.
In addition, the victim recognized Pitts from the long time they worked together at Popeye’s in Leesburg, the affidavit states.
The investigator subsequently made contact with the victim, who confirmed that during the altercation, Pitts verbally threatened violence and lunged into an attack stance. When he walked away and tried to break free, Pitts chased him. Pitts was also observed attempting to hit him but missed, the affidavit states.
Pitts was eventually arrested on Friday, August 16, on a warrant for simple assault and criminal damage to property (over $1,000). The New Jersey native was taken to the Lake County Jail and released after posting $3,500 bail.
