An enraged Mississippi man was arrested after shattering the glass door of the Ruby Tuesday restaurant in Leesburg after employees kicked him out at closing time.
An officer responded to Ruby Tuesday, located at 9616 U.S. Hwy. 441, regarding a disturbance complaint around 10:01 p.m. on April 16, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
The officer met with the complainant who stated that 35-year-old David Lee Clark, later identified by his cousin and his Mississippi driver’s license, had been in the bar drinking until closing time. After the bar closed, he paid his bill but began screaming and cursing at employees to give him “what he wants,” the report said.
Male kitchen staff escorted Clark from the bar to outside when he refused the female staff’s requests to leave. The complainant began to record cell phone footage of Clark through the window yelling at them. Clark then walked eastbound through the parking lot to the front of the Hampton Inn, located next door at 9630 U.S. Hwy. 441, the report said.
Restaurant personnel locked the front entry glass doors and noticed Clark walking back toward the restaurant. He began punching and kicking the front door window and glass door until he shattered the door window. He then walked back toward the Hampton Inn where they lost sight of him, the report said.
To replace the damaged glass door would be an estimated $1,200. The complainant stated that they believed Johnson had the first name of “Dave” or “David” and that he was from Mississippi. They had no other information, the report said.
The next day at about 3:25 p.m., an officer contacted one of the complainants who provided two digital videos recorded on their phone and a still photograph of Clark while in the bar area, the report said.
The officer then went next door to the Hampton Inn and spoke with the front desk employees, showing them the photo of Clark. One of the clerks showed the photo to two different employees who stated that they did not know the room he came from, but both stated that they had seen him standing outside the front door in the morning smoking a cigarette. One stated they saw him around 8 a.m. while the other said 9 a.m., the report said.
The officer did not have a name, room number, birth date or the driver’s license number for Clark. He advised the front desk employees to call the police department when and if Clark was seen back at the motel, the report said.
At about 5 p.m., the officer indeed got a phone call from the front desk employees stating that they had seen Clark return to the motel and go into room 512. He was advised that Clark was wearing the same clothes from the night before, the report said.
Two officers and a K-9 unit responded and made contact by knocking on the door of room 512. Clark’s cousin answered the door, and one of the officers asked if anyone else was in the room. The cousin pointed to the bathroom door, which was shut, and stated his cousin was in the shower, the report said.
The officer opened the case file and showed the cousin a still photo of Clark from the complainant. The cousin confirmed that was the same man in the shower. When Clark opened the door, he was taken into custody without incident, the report said.
Clark was subsequently charged with criminal mischief (over $1,000). He was transported to Lake County Jail and released after posting $2,500 bond.
