A Eustis man has been arrested after bizarre behavior at a church in Leesburg.

Sylvester Gainer
Sylvester Gainer

Officers responded to Mt. Ararat Baptist Church, located at 1108 E. Main Street, in response to a suspicious person outside throwing bricks and screaming around 1:34 a.m. Monday, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. 

Upon arrival, the officers met 25-year-old Sylvester Gainer as he stood on church property holding a small white piece of PVC pipe in his right hand. He dropped the pipe as they spoke to him. Near him, one of the officers noticed another broken piece of a white PVC pipe attached to the wall of the church, the report said. 

Gainer was detained after several attempts to identify him and to get his reason for being on church property. He was asked for his name, but he refused to give it to the officers. He instead spontaneously stated he was on Adderall and did not steal anything. He could not advise what he had consumed and ignored answering their questions, the report said. 

One of the officers proceeded to contact one of the church’s trustees. Soon after, the trustee arrived on scene so an officer could explain what happened and ask if he could identify Gainer. He could not and requested prosecution against Gainer for breaking the pipe next to the church. The trustee advised the cost to repair the damage would be about $200, the report said. 

Gainer was then arrested on charges of criminal mischief (church, synagogue, mosque) and resisting (obstructing without violence). He was taken directly to Lake County Jail due to his erratic behavior where bond was set at $3,500.