An Ocklawaha man who was given a place to stay after being released from jail apparently wore out his welcome, and according to deputies, his response to being shown the door involved a machete and a pair of stolen designer sunglasses.
Xavier Jordan Melendez, 28, was arrested Thursday, October 22, after deputies say he returned to a residence where he had been staying temporarily, caused damage to the property and assaulted the homeowner.
According to an arrest affidavit from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Melendez had been living with the homeowner for approximately two weeks following his release from jail. The arrangement came with one condition: Melendez needed to maintain employment.
That arrangement reportedly began unraveling when Melendez lost his job about a week earlier and made no apparent effort to find another.
The homeowner told deputies he repeatedly warned Melendez that he needed to find work or find somewhere else to live. On October 21, Melendez was finally told to pack his belongings and leave.
He reportedly complied, at least temporarily.
By approximately 5:30 a.m. the following morning, Melendez was back, but this time the doors were locked.
According to deputies, Melendez responded by retrieving a machete from the back porch and swinging it around in the front yard. He eventually disappeared from view, only to allegedly gain entry to the residence through a rear sliding glass door.
The homeowner’s wife contacted her husband, who was at work, and asked him to return home.
When the homeowner arrived around 3 p.m., he reportedly found Melendez outside holding an orange, lever-action Nerf rifle that had been taken from his daughter’s bedroom.
The homeowner went inside and locked the door, prompting Melendez to allegedly attempt to kick his way back into the house.
Inside, the homeowner discovered another unusual scene: Melendez’s pants soaking in the bathtub, with the faucet still running.
After removing the pants and placing them on the back porch, the homeowner noticed fresh pry marks on the sliding glass door and string lodged inside its locking mechanism.
As he attempted to return inside, deputies say Melendez struck him on the right arm with a hard object approximately two-and-a-half feet long.
The homeowner retreated inside and locked the door.
Deputy Jeremy Simpson reported observing a large bump, swelling and bruising on the victim’s right forearm.
Melendez allegedly fled in a silver Buick SUV, running over a large metal cattle gate blocking the driveway and causing significant damage.
However, he apparently wasn’t finished with the property.
According to the affidavit, Melendez returned shortly before deputies arrived and was attempting to put the damaged cattle gate back in place when law enforcement detained him.
Deputies subsequently spotted the missing orange Nerf rifle on the passenger-side floorboard of Melendez’s SUV, alongside a broken billiards cue measuring approximately two to three feet long.
And then there was the matter of the sunglasses.
The homeowner’s wife reported that a pair of purple Michael Kors aviator sunglasses, valued at approximately $70, had disappeared from her bedroom.
During a search following his arrest, deputies reportedly discovered a matching pair of purple Michael Kors sunglasses sitting on Melendez’s head.
The woman identified them as hers.
Deputies estimated the stolen Nerf rifle was worth approximately $50, while the damaged cattle gate would cost about $150 to replace.
The affidavit also notes that Melendez has three previous battery convictions, including two in Union County in 2017 and another in Marion County in May 2025.
Melendez was arrested on charges of aggravated battery, grand theft from a dwelling and criminal mischief. He was transported to the Marion County Jail without incident and was initially listed as being held without bond.
