Camp site burglar apprehended after 3 days in remote area near Otter Creek According to a press release by Lt. Scott Tummond with the Levy County Sheriff's Office (LCSO), Michael J. Hammer, 37, of Old Town, Florida was apprehended on Thursday, July 2, by LCSO deputies in a wooded area near Otter Creek after three days on the run. Deputies responded to a report of a suspicious incident at the McGee Branch Hunting Club on Wednesday, July 1, when a third party called the LCSO and reported that two men went into the McGee Branch Hunting Club to burglarize camp sites, late Sunday night into early Monday morning. A witness told the third party he/she heard two gunshots, and only one man returned to the vehicle. The third party believed that a murder had been committed, and the missing person, Michael Hammer, had not been seen since. Hammer had not been reported missing by family members, the press release stated, because he was on active probation. Deputies located evidence of camp site burglaries and began looking for Hammer. Efforts to locate him were hampered by limited information as to the exact location of the alleged murder and the high water in the remote location. When Michael Hammer was finally located, he was suffering from minor exposure, due to his days on the run in the woods. He confessed to detectives that he'd broken into the camp sites. Hammer was placed under arrest, charged with burglary, grand theft and probation violation. His bond was set at none. Man arrested in Otter Creek after firing weapons inside residence On June 29, Levy County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a 911 call from a residence on State Road 24 in Otter Creek. The caller advised that the suspect, James D. Rone, 38, of Chiefland, had threatened a woman inside the residence with a firearm. The caller stated the female and two juveniles were hiding inside the residence. It was reported that Rone was also inside the house, in possession of several firearms, including a rifle which he had fired, several times, inside the residence. According to a press release, a large contingent of deputies quickly responded to the scene and set up a perimeter around the incident location. After brief period of negotiation, Rone surrendered peacefully to the deputies. During the incident, traffic on State Road 24 was closed for a short time. Unspecified minor injuries were reported that did not require the person to be transported to a medical facility for treatment. Crime Scene detectives recovered firearms, shell casings and a broken cell phone. Rone was arrested, about 6:23 pm, charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, battery, and tampering with evidence. His bond was set at $534,000. JULY 1 Albert Jay Mims, 59, of Chiefland, was charged by the LCSO with driving under the influence and refusing to submit to testing after a license suspension, refusing to accept or sign a citation or post bond, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, using or displaying a firearm during the commission of a felony, and using a firearm while under the influence of alcohol ($150,000 bond). JULY 2 Alex James Bolton, 20, of Williston, was arrested by the LCSO, charged with battery. His bond was set at release on his own recognizance. David Paul Cox 40, of Chiefland, was charged by the CPD with shoplifting from a merchant, second offense ($3,000 bond). JULY 3 Jason William Blanton, 35, was charged by the CPD with battery, petit theft from a merchant, second offense; and resisting arrest or the recovery of property by a merchant ($6,000 bond). Paula Domschke, 49, of Williston, was charged by the LCSO with violation of a condition of pretrial release for domestic violence (no bond). Totaram Ganesh, 42, of Williston, was charged by the FHP with driving under the influence ($5,000 bond). David W. Pearson, 55, of an unstated location in FL, was charged by the LCSO with failing to register a motor vehicle, and operating a motor vehicle without a valid license (no bond). JULY 4 Channelwayne Howard Bowen, 35, of Dunnellon was charged by the FHP with driving with a suspended or revoked license (release on his own recognizance bond), and also arrested on an out of county warrant ($4,000 cash only bond). JULY 5 Christopher Channing Harris, 42, of Morriston, was charged by the LCSO with battery ($5,000 bond). He was also charged with kidnapping or imprisoning a person under the age of 13, sexual assault of a person 18 years of age or older without physical force, lewd and lascivious behavior toward a person under the age of 16, and cruelty or abuse of a child without causing great bodily harm (no bond). Holly Lynn Radford, 36, of Morriston, was charged by the LCSO with driving while license suspended, first offense ($2,500 bond). Arkimma Thompson, 29, of Chiefland, was charged by the CPD with failure to obey a police or fire department officer, resisting or obstructing an officer without violence, and disturbing the peace (no bond). Inglis man charged with stealing $1,680 in pavers off US 19 in Inglis Wayne Joseph Drake, 54, of Inglis, was arrested by the Levy County Sheriff's Office (LCSO), June 19, accused of stealing approximately $1,680 in pavers from a lot that is next to a business located on US 19 South in Inglis. According to Mr. Drake's arrest affidavit, the LCSO was contacted by the Citrus County Sheriff's Office with information that had been submitted to them by a witness, that Mr. Drake had taken the pavers and placed them at a W. Edwards Ct. (Citrus County), Inglis residence. Levy County deputies spoke with the residents at the W. Edwards Ct., Inglis location. They told the deputy, that about 3 to 4 weeks previously, Mr. Drake had brought 1,000 pavers to them, and placed them in their front yard. The said they'd paid 50 cents each for the pavers, for a total of $500. They said that Drake had made several trips, using a truck and a trailer, transporting the pavers to their home. The victim of the pavers theft went to the W. Edwards Ct. location and identified the pavers as consistent with the ones stolen from the US 19 South lot. On June 19, Levy County deputies located Mr. Drake at the intersection of SE 100 Ct. and Hwy. 40 East, in Inglis. He initially denied involvement in the theft, but later admitted he'd stolen the pavers and confirmed the transaction he'd made with the W. Edwards Ct. residents, stating that the price they paid included the pavers and also the installation of the pavers. He told deputies that he was not the only person involved in the theft of the pavers. However, Mr. Drake's arrest affidavit did not mention any other names. Drake also told deputies that an employee of the business, located next to the lot where he'd taken the pavers, told him that the intended use of the pavers was for a park that never came to fruition. He was charged with grant theft of $300 or more, but less than $5,000 ($25,000 bond). Chiefland Man Arrested on Aggravated Battery Charge Aaron Lee Forehand, 28, of Chiefland, was booked into the Levy County Detention Bureau by Dep Wilkinson at 10:00 pm, Monday, June 29, on charges of aggravated battery causing bodily harm or disability, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, battery, and probation violation.