[PHOTO CREDIT: iStock / Pashclgnatov]
[Original Publish Date: 08/25/20]
LADY LAKE, Florida — Two Lady Lake men who were “hooting and hollering” about setting a homeless man’s belongings ablaze, have been charged with crime.
Around 9 p.m. Thursday, a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy responded to Genius Court on a report of an arson and a juvenile witness told the deputy he saw Daniel “Drizzle” Joseph Weller, 29, and Brendan Joseph Haff, 29, jump his fence to access a small field where the victim stays.
The victim followed Weller and Haff to the victim’s shed and told LCSO Weller took a lighter from his pocket and attempted to light the victim’s mattress; when he failed, Haff took the lighter from Weller and successfully set the mattress on fire, according to an arrest affidavit. The mattress, tools and most victim’s belongings valued at approximately $1,000 were destroyed.
The witness told the pair to stop multiple times and ran to his mom upon seeing the mattress on fire and told her to call 9-1-1. The witness saw Haff and Weller jump back over his fence and they were “hooting and hollering” about what they had done, before running down the street back to their residence, the affidavit states.
The victim, who was unhurt, told LCSO he is homeless, but is allowed to stay in the shed on church property. This was not the first incident involving the victim, Haff and Weller. On a previous call, Haff and Weller attempted to fight the victim and were upset the victim was not arrested, the arresting deputy noted in an affidavit. While on that scene Weller said, “This is not over.”
Haff and Weller were arrested at their home on Hobby Way and charged with arson. Haff is being held on $25,000 bond; Weller was released Friday on $25,000 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]
