A Leesburg woman was arrested for giving deputies a fake story about her husband pointing a gun at her after an argument.
A deputy responded to a Leesburg residence, located at 4 Morgan St., regarding 38-year-old Kristine Dominique Rowland crying and screaming for someone to put a gun down at around 12:35 a.m. Tuesday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Upon arrival, deputies on scene had already detained Rowland’s husband, who she claimed pointed a gun at her. The deputies had found him sleeping in the detached shed at the back of the unfenced property, the report said.
One of the deputies went into the residence where others were already interviewing Rowland. She stated a black firearm with a laser was pointed at her by her husband after they had gotten into an argument. She saw him throw the firearm over the shed and into the woods behind the property, the report said.
The deputy next spoke to the husband who stated he did not know what was going on as he was asleep in the shed after his wife kicked him out. He eventually provided an affidavit attesting to his knowledge of the incident. Deputies proceeded to search the area where Rowland said the firearm was thrown, but they did not find anything, the report said.
Deputies then interviewed Rowland’s biological son, also her husband’s stepson. He advised that the couple had been arguing, and she damaged a vehicle they owned. The husband had given him his firearm around 6 p.m. due to his belief that Rowland was going to lie and say he threatened her with it, the report said.
The son placed the firearm in his room, which he allowed the deputies to retrieve. It was a black 9mm Ruger that did not have a green laser. The husband explained the laser had not been on the firearm in about a year, and he found the laser under several items in a drawer where Rowland was located when law enforcement arrived, the report said.
The son also stated he had fallen asleep and heard a commotion, at which time he observed Rowland pretending to struggle with the front door of the house. She said her husband was trying to get inside. When her son exited the residence, he did not see anyone outside, the report said.
That was when the son noticed law enforcement detaining the husband. While speaking to him later, he told deputies that Rowland had been drinking and was known to make up these stories, the report said.
The deputies returned to Rowland and read her rights, which she understood and agreed to speak with law enforcement. She stated that she and her husband had been arguing, and when she tried to go to bed, he produced a firearm from somewhere on his side of the bed. He pointed it at her with a green laser and stated it had five bullets, the report said.
Rowland told her husband he needed to leave. When he went outside, he threw something over the shed that she was unable to see because she did not have her glasses on. This differed from what she told deputies earlier when she said that she saw him throw the firearm over the shed, the report said.
Rowland then stated the firearm was black and had a green laser, but when shown the firearm her son had given deputies, she could not confirm if it was the firearm. She was then asked about the incident at the front door while she was on the phone with dispatch, the report said.
She advised that she heard the front gate open and saw her husband at the door, so she tried to keep it shut. But she then changed her story to say she could not see her husband because she was unable to see through the front door. The report noted the front door had a window that could be seen through.
Rowland next stated her son left through the front door and ran around the property, at which time her husband ran from the front door to the shed. However, she was unaware that deputies were on scene detaining him at that time, and he was already asleep in the shed wearing only underwear and covered with multiple items, the report said.
Deputies on scene were able to dispel Rowland’s affidavit of an aggravated assault with a firearm due to the given timeline not being possible and the statements provided by all subjects, the report said.
Rowland was subsequently arrested on charge of false information to law enforcement during investigation. She was transported to Lake County Jail with bond set at $1,000.
The Illinois native was also arrested in September as a habitual traffic offender when she was caught driving without a license and speeding.