LAKE CITY, Fla. — The Lake City Police Department arrested a man accused of grabbing a child's floatation device inside a pool at an apartment complex.
Police responded to Windsong Apartments at 2580 SW Windsong Drive on Saturday at about 3 p.m. after a report of a father holding down a suspect who had grabbed a child, according to the LCPD.
When police arrived, the found a male holding the suspect, identified as 57-year-old Joseph Francis Scheuer on a sidewalk outside of the pool area. Scheuer had several abrasions on his arms, legs, face and head, but refused any treatment, police said.
The man who had been holding Scheuer told police that he was in the pool area with his family when Scheuer jumped the fence into the pool area. The man told police Scheuer was being loud and belligerent toward others in the pool area. The man also told police they had not seen him at the complex before the incident.
The man reported Scheuer went into the pool and approached his 6-year-old child, who was wearing floatation devices on his arms. Scheuer grabbed the child by the arm and tried to remove the floatation devices, according to police.
The man tried to escort Scheuer from the area; however, a fight ensued between the man and Scheuer. The man restrained Scheuer until police arrived on the scene. The man told police he had to punch Scheuer to get him to stop resisting.
At this point, police placed Scheuer under arrest, according to the LCPD.
During officers' investigation, 47-year-old Rocky Lee Miller, who told police he was Scheuer's nephew, came to the scene and tried to interrupt paramedics, who were trying to evaluate Scheuer. After briefly being allowed to talk to his uncle, police told Miller to leave the area, police said.
As he walked away, Miller became loud and disruptive, including holding an "obscenity-laced conversation" with Scheuer, according to police. After refusing to leave the area, Miller was arrested, police said.
Scheuer faces charges of disorderly intoxication, battery and aggravated child abuse. Miller faces charges of disorderly intoxication and resisting an officer without violence.
