A neighborhood noise complaint in Lake County, Florida, took a turn for the worse on June 8 when a man threatened two teenagers with a meat cleaver. The incident occurred when two teenagers were working on a go-kart in a yard, revving the engine to tune its carburetor.
Threats and Arrest
The sound apparently pushed their neighbor, Richard Carter, over the edge. According to arrest affidavits, Carter walked over to the property, began screaming at the teens, and threw a lawn chair at them. He then grabbed a large kitchen knife and a meat cleaver that were sitting near an outdoor fire pit. Holding the blades, Carter allegedly threatened to “bash their heads in” if they started up the engine again.
The encounter left both boys terrified. Court documents state that one of the teens actually got down on his knees to beg Carter not to hurt him. The other teenager, who was just visiting the home, fled the scene on a four-wheeler. His mother later told officials that when her son arrived home, he was shaking so badly he could barely speak.
Carter was booked into jail on two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. He was released the following day after posting a $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court this July.
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
