What started as a search for a particular brand of beer ended with two men pulling pocket knives and one suspect leaving behind perhaps the most inconvenient piece of evidence possible: his wallet.
According to a Marion County Sheriff’s Office arrest affidavit, deputies responded to the Circle K at 8695 S.E. 165th Mulberry Lane in The Villages on the night of May 30 after a reported battery.
Investigators say Billy Ray Jones, 56, became upset when store employee Kevin Burge was unable to locate the beer Jones was looking for in the cooler. After Burge asked him to leave, Jones allegedly placed his forearm across Burge’s throat, pushed him backward and pinned him against the coffee machines.
Burge told deputies he feared for his safety and displayed a pocket knife in an attempt to get Jones to back away. According to the report, Jones then pulled his own pocket knife and held it near Burge’s face, causing further fear that he would be stabbed. An unidentified customer intervened, prompting Jones to step away.
A store employee who witnessed the encounter corroborated key portions of the incident, according to deputies. Security video reportedly showed Jones using his forearm to pin Burge against the wall, although investigators said the video quality was not sufficient to clearly identify what Jones was holding in his hand.
The story took an unexpected turn when a wallet was discovered near the coffee machines after the confrontation. Inside was a Texas driver’s license belonging to Jones.
Deputies were unable to locate Jones immediately after the incident. However, according to the affidavit, he later contacted law enforcement to report his wallet missing. When deputies met with him, they noted he was wearing the same ball cap seen in the store surveillance footage. During a post-Miranda interview, Jones admitted being at the Circle K but said he was intoxicated and could not remember what happened. When asked whether he pulled a pocket knife, investigators said he did not directly answer and instead questioned whether the victim had displayed a knife first.
Jones was arrested without incident and transported to the Marion County Jail. He faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and battery.
If nothing else, deputies were reminded of an old investigative principle: when fleeing the scene, forgetting your wallet tends to complicate the getaway.
