A 60-year-old Leesburg man with a violent history is in the Lake County Jail after several witnesses said he pointed a gun at a woman during an argument in a motel parking lot.
James Lowery Arthur was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill after the incident, which happened shortly before midnight Wednesday at the Best Value Motel, 1412 S. 14th St. in Leesburg. Arthur lives at the hotel with his wife.
The victim told a Leesburg police officer she was walking down the sidewalk in front of the rooms of the motel. She said as she approached Arthur and his wife, she said, “Excuse me,” and Arthur’s wife started yelling at her, according to the police report.
The victim said while she was arguing with Arthur’s wife, Arthur made a hand gesture and said he would kill her. A witness said he saw Arthur point a small silver firearm at the victim, and he heard Arthur cock the gun while he was pointing it at her, the report said.
A second witness said she was walking in the area and heard a disturbance in the parking lot. She said she saw a black man wearing a grey tank top and black shorts screaming, “I’ll kill you bitch,” while pointing a gun at the victim. The witness said the man told the victim he would shoot her if she took another step towards him, according to the report.
A third witness, the juvenile son of the victim, told the officer he was walking with his mother when she and Arthur’s wife started yelling at each other. The victim’s son said he saw Arthur point a firearm at his mother, the report said.
Arthur’s wife said the victim has been causing problems for her and her husband for a long time. She said Arthur does not have a firearm, according to the report.
Arthur, who was wearing a grey tank top and black shorts, was hostile towards law enforcement. When asked if everything was OK, he replied no and said the victim has been messing with him and his wife all day. Asked if he had any weapons on him, Arthur said he had a big stick and a machete in his room but he does not own a firearm, the report said.
Arthur was patted down for weapons. With his permission, officers searched his room and did not find a firearm, according to the report.
Lake County Jail records show Arthur with a half-dozen prior arrests – all on domestic battery charges – in June 2018, July 2018, January 2019, November 2019, February 2020, and April 2020. He’s currently being held on $2,000 bond and will appear in Lake County Court at 8:30 a.m. May 12.
