Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Police: Political fight ends in arrest

Half of the beer-drinking duo tells officers he's not sure who started the scuffle, but one man's arm was broken.

By ABBIE VANSICKLE
Published March 7, 2006

CRYSTAL RIVER - Alcohol and politics proved a terrible combination for Thomas Marcus Carter on Sunday night, according to a Crystal River police arrest report.

Police say things got ugly when Carter, a 59-year-old Webster resident, started talking politics with another man at 9:14 p.m. at Pete's Pier. The other man's name was not listed on the report.

Carter is accused of knocking the man down and breaking his arm, according to the report. Carter faces a charge of felony battery in connection with the incident, police said.

He told officers he and the man were drinking beer and talking politics and things got out of control.

Carter told officers the men each shoved each other, but he wasn't sure who shoved first. He said the man's arm was broken when he fell to the ground, police said.

A witness told officers Carter was the aggressor.

He was arrested and taken to the Citrus County jail. Bail was set at $2,000.

In other law enforcement news:

--A Spring Hill man was arrested after Citrus County sheriff's deputies accused him of stabbing a 43-year-old Homosassa man with a knife after the victim refused to lend him money.

Deputies arrested Andrew Dean Hostetler, 43, at 1:32 a.m. Monday on a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after authorities accused him of stabbing Richard Martin in the back, according to an arrest report.

Deputies were called to Citrus Memorial Health System after they received a call about a stabbing victim. Martin had a baseball-size lump on his back and what appeared to be a knife wound, according to the report.

Martin told deputies that Hostetler, an acquaintance, had come to his home about 11:30 p.m. to ask him to borrow money.

Martin said he was asleep at the time, but he woke up and told Hostetler he wasn't giving him any more money because he hadn't repaid a previous debt.

The two got into an argument that turned into a physical fight outside Martin's home, he told deputies. When Martin turned around to go back inside, Hostetler said, "I have something for you," Martin told deputies. At that moment, the man felt a sharp pain in his back.

He said he didn't realize he'd been stabbed until he went inside. His son then drove him to the hospital.

Hostetler told deputies the victim had hit him with a baseball bat. Deputies said he didn't appear to have any injuries that would back up that statement. He also told deputies he didn't stab Martin.

Hostetler was taken to the jail. Bail was set at $5,000.

--Tony Dwayne Hood, a 26-year-old Crystal River resident, was arrested at 8:49 p.m. Sunday after authorities accused him of threatening to shoot a woman with a shotgun and then firing the gun, according to a sheriff's report.

Hood, who lives at 2612 N Reynolds Ave., was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the report.

When deputies arrived at 2593 N Reynolds Ave., Marcie Leffew, 22, of Spring Hill told deputies Hood had threatened her by saying that she'd be leaving in an ambulance.

After the threat, Hood walked to the road, and Leffew heard a gun shot fired into a tree near the residence.

Scott Leffew, a 24-year-old Crystal River man, told deputies he was sitting on his uncle's car in front of the home when he saw Hood aim a shotgun in his direction and fire one shot, according to the report.

Hood told deputies he didn't fire the gun.

He was taken to the jail, where bail was set at $5,000.

--Abbie VanSickle can be reached at 860-7312 or vansickle@sptimes.com

[Last modified March 7, 2006, 01:14:20]