[PHOTO CREDIT: Lake County Sheriff’s Office]
[Original Publish Date: 04/28/21]
TAVARES, Florida — A 73-year-old man accused of chasing a man down and hitting him in the face with a tire iron earlier this month was picked up on a warrant for the crime Tuesday night, according to the arrest affidavit.
On April 2, James Edward Rogers, of Lady Lake, was helping a woman retrieve her belongings from a home on Tracy Lane in unincorporated Tavares, according to a probable cause affidavit. The victim came to the home to ensure his belongings were not being taken and a fight broke out between him and Rogers.
Rogers armed himself with a four-way tire iron and raised it in the direction of the victim, who punched Rogers in the face in self-defense, the affidavit states. Rogers chased the victim and struck him in the face with the tire iron and caused multiple lacerations to his face and head. Video surveillance confirmed the victim’s account of the incident.
The victim and a witness subdued Rogers; he is alleged to have pulled a handgun from his pocket, causing the witness to release him. The victim asked an additional witness to call 9-1-1 and Rogers left the area. A Lake County Sheriff’s deputy responded and requested a BOLO (be on the lookout) for Rogers’ vehicle and he was later located by a Sumter County Sheriff’s deputy. Rogers was armed with a gun similar to the gun described in the incident, but he was not arrested at that time, according to the affidavit. Rogers was arrested on a warrant for the crime Tuesday and was released from LCJ on $15,000 bond Wednesday morning.
The victim was treated at AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares for his injuries, and he will have permanent scarring on his face, the detective noted in the affidavit.
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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]
