A Leesburg man suspected of battery was tracked down at the Lake County Fair the same day he committed the crime.
Dylan Scott Eckerdt, 20, was arrested Saturday night at the fairgrounds, according to an arrest report from the Tavares Police Department. He was taken into custody based on an alleged aggravated battery offense he committed that morning.
Earlier that day around 10:13 a.m., police responded to Smokin’ Automotives located at 908 West Maud St. The victim called law enforcement and advised that a customer had arrived upset and attacked him. He was struck in the face, bleeding badly and felt his jaw was broken, the report said.
Upon his arrival, the officer observed fresh blood outside on the driveway of the business before speaking with the victim. He was in visible pain and holding the left side of his jaw while sitting in his office. As he spoke to the officer, the victim was able to briefly detail the incident prior to Lake EMS arriving on scene and taking him to Advent Health, the report said.
The victim stated Eckerdt arrived at his business upset about recent work that was done on a vehicle, the report said. He attempted to explain to Eckerdt that he would take a look at the vehicle to diagnose the problem, but Eckerdt continued to act irate and would not listen to him. The victim then told Eckerdt to leave the property, which he refused to do. Instead, Eckerdt charged the victim and began punching him in the face.
The victim never acted aggressively, nor did he threaten his assailant, the report said. He was trying to work with Eckerdt to fix the problem. The victim also advised that he did not have a lot of information about Eckerdt, but the neighboring business was familiar with him.
The owner of the neighboring business, Eckerdt’s stepfather, told the officer he had witnessed the altercation, the report said. He advised the victim recently worked on a vehicle belonging to Eckerdt’s girlfriend.
That vehicle was not running properly, so Eckerdt was upset about it. He did not own the vehicle or pay for any work done to it. He had also arrived at the business in his personal vehicle instead of the one that needed work, the report said.
Eckerdt’s stepfather corroborated the victim’s claims as he described what he saw, the report said. He stated the victim spoke calmly and always kept his hands at his sides, after which Eckerdt attacked him and fled the scene. Additionally, the stepfather advised that Eckerdt lived with him and was currently on state probation.
While the officer spoke with the stepfather, Eckerdt called into dispatch. He told police the victim came after him with something in his hands, so he defended himself. His stepfather
overheard the radio traffic and immediately said “that’s a lie.” He reiterated that the victim was never aggressive towards Eckerdt, the report said.
Contact was then made with the victim’s son, another witness to the events. He stated he was working on his own vehicle inside the business when he heard arguing. He also heard what sounded like someone being hit, so he ran outside.
The victim’s son saw his father lying on the ground, causing him to yell at Eckerdt to get off the property. Eckerdt retreated to the driver’s side of his vehicle as he threatened to shoot. He then fled the scene, the report said.
The victim’s son was able to get in contact with a business across the street, who was able to give him surveillance video of the incident. The video further confirmed the statements made by the victim and Eckerdt’s stepfather, the report said.
In the video, Eckerdt can be seen acting aggressively towards the victim and clenching his fists. He backed away from the victim before quickly charging him. Eckerdt punched him multiple times in the head, after which he retreated from the property out of view from the video, the report said.
Any attempts to contact Eckerdt via the telephone number he provided dispatch were unsuccessful, the report said. Trying to contact him at his last known address was also unsuccessful.
While finishing the on-scene investigation, Eckerdt’s mother arrived. She advised her son had briefly spoken to her after the incident. He told her he had already spoken to his probation officer and his attorney. Eckerdt’s mother further stated he would probably not be at the residence, and she was unsure where he would be, the report said.
After being arrested at the fair that night, Eckerdt was taken to the Lake County Jail for booking without further incident. His bond was set at $5,000.
