The Haulover Avenue resident is cited by police for steering his riding mower at a neighbor.
By DUANE BOURNE
Published September 10, 2003
SPRING HILL - When Arthur Ammirati, 82, was accused last week of pouring a mix of chemicals that killed his neighbor's lawn, he had an explanation: There were a lot of weeds, and he was just trying to help, he told authorities.
Ammirati was issued a misdemeanor citation for criminal mischief and was given a court date.
Now, Ammirati will have a second day in court.
On Monday, authorities said, he tried to run down another neighbor on his riding lawn mower. He suspected that neighbor of talking with deputies about Ammirati's involvement in the lawn incident.
Sheriff's spokesman Lt. Joseph Paez said the incident on Monday began when Ammirati approached Tommy Mason, 47, while Mason was painting a mailbox on Haulover Avenue and asked him about a can of bug spray he had loaned to Mason one month earlier.
When Mason told him he had finished the can, Ammirati became angry, according to a sheriff's report.
Ammirati then used his 14-horsepower riding mower to blow grass clippings on Mason's property, Mason told deputies.
Agitated, Mason borrowed a hand blower from his neighbor, Edward Piper, 60, and used it to blow the blades of grass back onto Ammirati's property, the sheriff's report stated.
That move may have infuriated Ammirati even more because, according to Paez, Ammirati then aimed his mower at Mason and tried to run over him.
Mason was able to escape unscathed, the report said, but the hand blower was damaged.
"(Ammirati) got so close to hitting him, the electric cord that (Mason) was holding was severed by the lawn mower," said Paez.
Mason later told a sheriff's deputy that he believed the incident was payback for his witnessing Ammirati spraying chemicals on the lawn of Nilda Morales, also a resident of Haulover Avenue.
Ammirati, whom neighbors said is mild mannered, was arrested and charged Monday with felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor criminal mischief.
Reached at his home after posting bail Tuesday, Ammirati said the episode was blown out of proportion and did not want to revisit the allegations.
Neither Mason nor Morales could be reached for comment.
"We shook hands this morning," Ammirati said, "so we have no dispute."
- Duane Bourne can be reached at 754-6114. Send e-mail to dbourne@sptimes.com
