A jealous Leesburg man who goes by the alias “Fat Boy” found himself behind bars Sunday morning after his lady friend claimed he pointed a gun at her and stole her cell phone.
While en route to speak with the victim, Leesburg Police officers were advised via dispatchers that the suspect was 44-year-old Kendrick Lavon Wheeler and he allegedly had threatened to kill the woman with the handgun, a police report states.
Police were told that Wheeler returned to the scene a few minutes later and threatened to kill the woman a second time. He then left on foot after realizing police officers were on the way and possibly went to his nearby residence, the victim said.
The victim told officers that she lives in a tent in a wooded area in the 1500 block of Center Street. She said she had been in a relationship with Wheeler for about three months – she referred to him as her boyfriend – and he would often sleep in the tent with her and even stayed with her when they had to relocate due to trespassing enforcement. She said she had ended the relationship because Wheeler had threatened her several times in the past, the report says.
The victim said Wheeler has visited her during the day since the relationship ended but hadn’t spent the night. She said he had been staying with a family member near the intersection of Montclair Road and Center Street, which was only a few blocks from her tent, the report says.
The victim claimed that Wheeler had entered her tent, kneeled down beside her “makeshift bed” where she was sleeping and started shouting at her. She said he accused of her of “sleeping with other people” and she told him to leave, as “he was not welcome.” She said Wheeler continued to shout at her and raised his left arm and moved it toward her head. She said he told her he “was going to kill her” and that “he had his Beretta with him,” according to the report.
The victim said she told Wheeler to leave several times and that she was going to call law enforcement for help. She said he had a black T-shirt draped over his arm and was holding what appeared to be the black handle of a handgun. She said she attempted to grab her cell phone but Wheeler took it so she couldn’t call police for assistance.
The victim said she started shouting for help so the person staying in another tent about 50 yards away would hear her and hopefully call the police. She said Wheeler then left the area on foot headed toward Center Street.
The victim said she went to the nearby tent once Wheeler had left the area to call for help. But she said he came back, pointed the handgun at her and told her he was going to kill her again. She said she called 911 a second time and provided Wheeler’s name and a description of his clothing as he ran from the wooded area toward Center Street.
The victim said she was “extremely scared” of Wheeler and his threats. She said this incident marked the fourth violent confrontation she had been in with him during their relationship. She said she’s in fear of being “killed” by Wheeler, as he is “known to carry a handgun even though he is a convicted felon.” She also said she hadn’t slept for several days “due to illicit drug usage,” the report says.
While gathering information from the victim, an officer spotted Wheeler about 100 yards away on Center Street. He was detained and searched but officers didn’t find any weapons. But they did locate a cell phone that Wheeler said belonged to the victim, the report says.
Wheeler then claimed that the victim had taken his cell phone three weeks ago and refused to return it. He said he told her he wanted it back but she told him “this or that person has it.” He said he had spoken to others who said the victim was using his cell phone and he needs it back to call his children who live out of state. He admitted to taking the victim’s cell phone and said he told her would return it when she gave him his phone back, the report says.
The victim confirmed that the cell phone Wheeler was carrying was hers. He was then arrested and transported to the Leesburg Police Department for the booking process. After a background check showed that Wheeler had a prior conviction for theft, he was transported to the Lake County Jail.
Wheeler, who lives at 405 N. Oakland St. in Leesburg and claimed to be disabled, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, armed burglary of a structure or conveyance, petit theft and domestic tampering/harassing a victim. He was being held on $46,000 bond and is due in court Oct. 26 at 8:30 a.m. to answer to the charges, jail records show.
