A Leesburg man found himself behind bars Thursday afternoon after being accused of stealing a security guard’s phone from a local internet café.
Lake County sheriff’s deputies were called to the Waffle House at 9520 U.S. Hwy. 441 and when they arrived, they spoke with the victim of the theft. He said he had placed his work phone, valued at $600, on a slot machine at the Treasure Cove Internet Casino and it had been stolen a short time later.
The victim said a customer at the casino told him that 30-year-old Donald Lee Duncan had taken the phone. He said he had received a call from Duncan’s girlfriend, who said she had dropped him off near Leesburg International Airport and confirmed that he had the missing phone, a sheriff’s office report states.
The victim said he and another security guard went to the area to look for Duncan and they located him at Waffle House. He said Duncan claimed he mistakenly took the phone and was on the way back to the casino to return it. He said Duncan gave him back the phone, which is linked to the casino’s security system and is able lock and unlock the front door, and they placed him in restraints until deputies arrived, the report says.
Duncan told deputies he had mistaken the phone for one belonging to his girlfriend. He said when he realized the error after leaving the casino, he attempted to return the phone but got into an argument with his girlfriend and she kicked him out of her vehicle. He said that forced him to walk back to the casino and he returned the phone when he saw the victim at Waffle House, the report says.
Duncan was placed under arrest and transported to the Lake County Jail, where he was charged with petit theft (third offense). He was being held on $2,000 bond and is due in court Dec. 28 at 8:30 a.m. to answer to the charge, jail records show.
