A Marion County man’s attempt to play Good Samaritan after dinner at Gator Joe’s reportedly ended with a truck buried in soft sand, a shattered windshield and several thousand dollars in damage, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
According to an arrest affidavit, deputies responded around 8:19 p.m. May 13 to Locust Pass in Ocala in reference to a verbal disturbance.
The victim told deputies he had been having dinner at Gator Joe’s in Ocklawaha when he ran into 26-year-old Savanah Rae Gosson and her children. Gosson allegedly asked him for a ride home. The victim told deputies he agreed because Gosson appeared intoxicated and had her children with her. He also reportedly told deputies the two had not seen each other in more than two years and were only acquaintances.
Things reportedly went downhill once the pair turned onto a sandy roadway off Southeast Maricamp Road.
According to the affidavit, the victim’s red Toyota truck became stuck in soft sand about 50 yards from Locust Pass. Deputies wrote that Gosson became agitated when the victim said he would need to call a tow truck. Authorities allege Gosson then began kicking the truck’s windshield from inside the vehicle before getting out and continuing to damage the truck, including the mirrors, wiper blades and door handle.
Deputies reported finding the windshield completely shattered, wiper blades ripped off and one rearview mirror hanging loose. Another mirror was reportedly found sitting inside the truck next to Gosson’s cellphone.
The victim told deputies he ran to a nearby home for help and called 911. He initially estimated the damage at approximately $2,500, though he later contacted the sheriff’s office again from the jail lobby area to report the truck’s gear shifter was also broken and would cost several thousand dollars more to repair.
Deputies noted Gosson appeared intoxicated and allegedly had dried blood on her hands. When questioned, she reportedly stated “nothing happened.”
Gosson was arrested on a felony charge of criminal mischief causing more than $1,000 in property damage and transported to the Marion County Jail. Bond was listed at $2,500.
