[PHOTO CREDIT: Lake County Sheriff’s Office]
[Original Publish Date: 02/23/20]
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TAVARES, Florida — A Tavares landlord is currently locked in a cell after his tenant accused him of locking him in his room.
According to an arrest affidavit, on Wednesday, a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy responded to the 15000 block of Old U.S. Highway 441 in Tavares in reference to a man who was locked in his room by his landlord. The deputy made contact with Hubert Reid Shepard, 67, who told him the victim was staying on the property, but in a separate building from Shepard. The deputy attempted to enter the building and found it locked. Shepard told the deputy the door could be unlocked from the inside and a retrieved a key and unlocked the door for the deputy, the affidavit states.
Deputies entered the building and made contact with the victim who was locked in an interior room. The deputies found all the doors to the room the victim was trapped in secured with other doors, chairs and pipes. Deputies removed the items and the victim told them he had been locked in the room for about an hour, following a verbal argument with Shepard, according to the affidavit. The victim said after the argument, he went to his room to separate himself from Shepard. After the victim locked the door to his room, Shepard spoke to the victim through his door and said, “Want to hear my good idea; I’m going to lock you in.” The victim then began hearing “clanking” sounds and was unable to open the door. He called his wife first and then law enforcement.
Shepard was arrested and charged with false imprisonment and resisting arrest without violence. He is being held in the Lake County Jail on $6,000 bond.
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Our Editor-in-Chief, Marilyn M. Aciego, began writing for Lake Legal News in 2010. Born and raised in Lake County, she is a graduate of Umatilla High School and Lake-Sumter State College. She started her journalism career at LSSC, where she was editor of both student publications, The Angler and The Odyssey. Her professional career began at the Daily Commercial in 2004 where she covered cops and courts the majority of her time there until she left in 2009. Currently, along with being Editor-in-Chief of Lake Legal News, she is the Florida bureau chief for an international media organization. She has made more than two dozen appearances on live national television, including Nancy Grace and the Greta Van Susteren show, along with her appearance on Evil Twins. Contact her with breaking news, tips, and feedback by sending an e-mail to 352Tips@gmail.com. You can also contact us on our Facebook page — and make sure you “Like” and “Follow us” there. [PHOTO CREDIT: Bonnie Whicher]
