A Fruitland Park man free on bond for drug possession was sent back to jail after he reportedly reached into a vehicle and punched a passenger multiple times while stopped at a red light.
Benjamin Conroy Bascom, 44, was charged with burglary auto with assault or battery after the incident, which happened late in the afternoon Saturday, Aug. 19, at the intersection of U.S. Highway 27 and Griffin Road in Leesburg.
The victim told police that while his fiancé drove him to work on Highway 27 towards the city, he recognized a silver Chevrolet Equinox driving recklessly as if trying to catch up to them. The vehicle eventually caught up on the right side, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
When the victim’s fiancé stopped at the red light, the victim immediately recognized Bascom as he got out of his vehicle and proceeded to act loud and irate, threatening to batter him. Bascom then reached inside the passenger door window and struck the victim multiple times with his right fist, the report said.
The victim was struck in the right side of the head and complained that he could still feel the pain. The officer observed redness near the area, consistent with the victim’s story of events. A video recorded by the victim’s fiancé further confirmed his story and gave police footage of Bascom’s license plate, according to the report.
Bascom, who was previously arrested in June for possession of cocaine, was apprehended by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office later that night in Mount Dora. His bond from the prior arrest was revoked, and he’s now being held on $25,000 bond.
