A Leesburg woman was arrested for assault after allegedly pulling a knife when confronted about checking a stranger’s mailbox.
Deputies responded to an undisclosed Fruitland Park address regarding a woman checking mailboxes and brandishing a knife around 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Upon arrival, they observed 42-year-old Angel Marie Velez standing near the road with a purse.
When asked to show her hands and put the bag down, she complied and stated she had just opened a mailbox. The knife, a standard kitchen knife, was in her purse, and she had pulled it out to tell someone to stay away from her house. She was pregnant and did not want to fight, the report said.
Velez further explained that she had been walking back to her vehicle, which was disabled on Grays Airport Road and needed a $70 ignition switch relay. She had walked from a church where she tried to get help. While returning, she checked a mailbox because she thought her mother had purchased a house in the area, the report said.
Her mother lived in Pennsylvania but was supposedly moving to Florida. The house appeared empty with no cars in the driveway. After checking the mailbox and determining it was not her mother’s address, she continued walking about five or six houses down the road, the report said.
The homeowner then came outside and began yelling at her. Velez cursed at the homeowner, who responded by threatening to fight her. Velez retrieved the knife from her purse and held it out, saying she was pregnant and would not fight, the report said.
The homeowner stopped about 4 feet away. They reached an understanding, so she put the knife back in her purse and walked away. The homeowner continued talking negatively, prompting Velez to bend over, gesture toward her buttocks and tell the homeowner to “kiss” her butt. She denied pulling down her pants, the report said.
Meanwhile, one of the deputies spoke with the homeowner, who confirmed that Velez pulled a knife on her. She was on the front porch when she saw Velez checking her mailbox. She asked why, and Velez said she thought her mom lived there, the report said.
She kept walking, and the homeowner walked out to the street to make sure she was leaving. Velez looked back and threw her hands up, so the homeowner asked again why she was checking the mailbox. They walked toward each other, exchanging words the whole time, until Velez pulled the knife, the report said.
The homeowner then walked away from Velez, who pulled her shorts down to show “everything.” The homeowner feared things would escalate, so due to having her kids inside, she called 911, the report said.
Velez later told law enforcement that she had prescription medication for a medical condition and fentanyl in her purse, which was not found. She added that she was experiencing a miscarriage and bleeding heavily. EMS transported her to a hospital in The Villages, where she was checked and cleared, the report said.
She was ultimately arrested on charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. She was booked at the Lake County Jail with bond set at $5,000.