A homeless man was arrested earlier this month after confronting a motorcyclist for parking on what he said was “stolen land” in St. Augustine’s historic district.
The alleged victim, a 42-year-old local, had just parked his motorcycle near the public market plaza at 150 Charlotte Street on March 2 when the 36-year-old from Flagler Beach began yelling at him, according to court papers.
Police said the suspect began shouting at the motorcyclist, telling him, “You can’t park on stolen land,” before approaching aggressively.
A 43-year-old witness told police that the suspect got directly in the motorcyclist’s face, bumped his chest and nose, and grabbed his waist.
The biker told police that he then punched the suspect in the cheek in self-defense, causing him to retreat.
The suspect was verbally uncooperative with law enforcement and showed signs of intoxication, papers state.
He was transported to Flagler Hospital for medical clearance before being booked at St. Johns County Jail.
While at the hospital, he “began yelling multiple times and, at one point, sat up with a clenched fist towards the doctor who was asking him questions about his health,” papers state.
The man, who was on probation for a prior resisting-an-officer charge, was charged with battery
In the prior case, he resisted attempts by a deputy to investigate reports that he had been involved in an altercation with a woman last September.
The deputy was forced to tase him before taking him into custody, court papers state.
