A Leesburg man with a criminal history was arrested on a trespassing charge after he was caught hiding in the bushes of a woman’s property.
Police responded to Lakeshore Drive in reference to a suspicious person, later identified as 30-year-old Derius Lashane Dabney, at 7:46 a.m. Monday, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
The complainant advised that Dabey trespassed on multiple properties in the neighborhood. They also saw him jump over the brick wall in the 800 block of Lakeshore Drive, the report said.
The officer contacted the homeowner at the address to inform her of a possible person wandering on her property. While walking with the homeowner, the officer found Dabney lying in bushes near the fence line. The homeowner requested that he be issued a warning, and Dabney acknowledged the consequences of his return to the property, the report said.
At 1:20 p.m., the homeowner called law enforcement and advised that Dabney was back on her property. The officer returned and placed Dabney under arrest, the report said.
Dabney was subsequently charged with trespass after warning and transported to the Lake County Jail. He was released of his own recognizance. He is responsible for appearing in court on Oct. 17.
Dabney was arrested for trespassing earlier this year in July when he was found hiding behind a fence on private property. He was also arrested on drug charges in June and for assaulting a UF Health nurse in January 2022.
