A homeless felon in Leesburg was arrested after allegedly pistol whipping a man for $250 and fleeing the scene in a stolen vehicle.
Deputies responded to a battery involving a firearm at an undisclosed residence around 7:34 a.m. Monday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Upon the deputy’s arrival, the male victim advised that 28-year-old Austin Levi Russell walked into the residence through the back door. He came into the victim’s room and “made a comment” to him. He asked Russell “what,” to which he responded by pulling out a black “six shooter cowboy gun” and struck the victim in the head, the report said.
The victim began to “go after” Russell, but he raised the gun, pointed it directly at him and stated he would blow his brains out. The victim was then hit again with the pistol. Russell also stole $250 in cash from a nightstand before fleeing the area in what the victim believed to be a dark green Ford Explorer, the report said.
A male witness who was in the same room at the time of the incident confirmed these events. He believed the firearm was a “22 or 357 long barrel handgun” and that Russell threatened to kill the victim after hitting him with the gun a second time, the report said.
A short time later, a deputy was patrolling Northern Avenue in Leesburg when he noticed a 90s model dark blue Ford Explorer. As he looked through the passenger window of the vehicle, he was able to identify the driver as Russell, the report said.
The deputy proceeded to follow the Explorer onto Crestwood Avenue, the report said. It pulled into the driveway of 33730 Crestwood Ave., and the deputy conducted a high-risk traffic stop as Russell began to exit the driver’s door. He was taken into custody and placed in the back seat of the patrol car while the deputy investigated his vehicle.
Located on the driver’s seat was a black Heritage revolver partially wrapped in a cloth. The firearm matched the description provided by the victim and the witness. It had five live rounds in the cylinder with one vacant slot, the report said.
Also in plain sight on the driver’s floorboard was a loaded syringe. A further search of the vehicle revealed a coach bag with two small scales. In the center console was a black bag containing multiple clear baggies. Separated inside these was a crystal-like substance, two white pills, a chain, a gray pocketknife, folded paper and a small metal object. Underneath the black bag was a cup containing 80 live .22-caliber rounds, the report said.
A field test confirmed the crystal-like substance to be methamphetamine, the report said. The two pills were identified as oxycodone, commonly known as “oxy” or “percs.”
It was later learned that the 1996 Ford Explorer was entered stolen out of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the report said. In addition, Russell’s criminal history showed 11 prior felony convictions.
Russel was subsequently charged with aggravated battery using deadly weapon, robbery with a firearm, grand theft, grand theft auto, possession of firearm by convicted felon, possession of ammunition by convicted felon, possession of methamphetamine and possession of oxycodone.
The Tennessee native was transported to the Lake County Jail with bond set at $88,000. A court date has been set for Nov. 20.
