| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: MOORE, ANDREW 0619 (AR09110844) DID UNLAWFULLY COMMIT BATTERY UPON THE VICTIM BY ACTUALLY AND INTENTIONALLY TOUCHING OR STRIKING SAID PERSON AGAINST SAID PERSON'S WILL, OR BY INTENTIONALLY CAUSING BODILY HARM, TO WIT: PUNCHED AND KICKED THE VICTIM, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 784.03(1)(A)(1). ON 090509, I WAS DISPATCHED TO APPLEBEE'S RESTAURANT IN INVERNESS, FLORIDA IN REFERENCE TO A PHYSICAL ALTERATION THAT HAD JUST OCCURRED. PRIOR TO MY ARRIVAL, I WAS ADVISED BY DISPATCH THAT THE SUSPECT, WHO WAS LATER IDENTIFIED AS MR STEVEN PRENDERGAST, HAD JUST LEFT ON FOOT FROM APPLEBEE'S RESTAURANT. I WAS FURTHER ADVISED THAT THE SUSPECT WAS WEARING A BLACK HOLLYWOOD PIZZA T-SHIRT. UPON MY ARRIVAL AT APPLEBEE'S, I MADE CONTACT WITH THE VICTIM, WHO ADVISED THAT HIS GIRLFRIEND/WITNESS HAD GONE WITH SOME FRIENDS FROM WORK TO HOLLYWOOD PIZZA. THEY THEN WENT TO APPLEBEE'S TO HANG OUT. HE THEN ADVISED THE SUSPECT WAS ONE OF THE EMPLOYEE'S FROM HOLLYWOOD PIZZA WHO HAD GONE WITH THE GROUP. THE VICTIM STATED HE HAD GONE TO APPLEBEE'S TO SAY HELLO TO HIS GIRLFRIEND/WITNESS WHEN HE WAS APPROACHED BY THE SUSPECT. AT THIS TIME THE VICTIM STATED THE SUSPECT SHOOK THE VICTIM'S HAND AND INTRODUCED HIMSELF. THE VICTIM STATED THAT, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE SUSPECT WAS APPARENTLY DRUNK, HE CONTINUED TO SQUEEZE THE VICTIM'S HAND. THE VICTIM ADVISED THE SUSPECT AT THIS POINT THAT HE DID NOT APPRECIATE HIM SQUEEZING HIS HAND IN SUCH A MANNER. THE VICTIM STATED HE THEN NOTICED OUT OF THE CORNER OF HIS EYE THAT THE SUSPECT SWUNG HIS FIST WHICH RESULTED IN THE VICTIM BEING KNOCKED TO THE GROUND. THE VICTIM ADVISED THE SUSPECT THEN PROCEEDED TO BEAT ON HIM WHILE HE WAS ON THE GROUND AND WOULD NOT LET HIM GET UP. AT THIS TIME, THE VICTIM'S GIRLFRIEND TRIED TO GET THE SUSPECT OFF HER BOYFRIEND. THE VICTIM THEN PULLED OUT A "CRKTSRT" BRAND NAME POCKET KNIFE IN AN ATTEMPT TO DEFEND HIMSELF FROM THE BARRAGE OF BLOWS FROM THE SUSPECT. THE VICTIM THEN STATED HE DID NOT KNOW IF HE STABBED THE SUSPECT, BUT DOES NOT THINK THAT HE DID. THE VICTIM SUSTAINED A GASH AND LARGE KNOT ON THE TOP OF HIS HEAD, AS WELL AS A BUSTED INNER LEFT LIP. THE VICTIM PROVIDED THIS DEPUTY WITH THE KNIFE HE PULLED. I INSPECTED THE KNIFE FOR ANY BLOOD TRANSFER AND FOUND A SMALL TRACE OF RED STAIN ON THE LEFT HANDLE OF KNIFE, WHICH POSSIBLY CAME FROM THE VICTIM'S FOREHEAD. THE BLADE ON THE KNIFE HAD NUMEROUS FINGERPRINTS ON IT, BUT NO OBVIOUS SIGNS OF BLOOD. THE VICTIM REITERATED THAT HE DID NOT THINK HE STABBED THE SUSPECT, BUT MAY HAVE HAD THE KNIFE IN HIS HAND WHILE USING IT TO PUNCH THE SUSPECT IN THE STOMACH AREA. HE DOES NOT BELIEVE THE BLADE MADE CONTACT WITH THE SUSPECT'S SKIN. HE STATED THAT THE SUSPECT THEN STOPPED BEATING HIM AND LEFT ON FOOT IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT WE WERE ADVISED BY APPLEBEE'S STAFF THAT THE SUSPECT HAD POSSIBLY GONE EAST ON HIGHWAY 44 ONTO FOREST DRIVE. THE VICTIM'S GIRLFRIEND/WITNESS AND AN APPLEBEE EMPLOYEE, BOTH GAVE WRITTEN STATEMENTS CORROBORATING THE VICTIM'S ACCOUNT OF WHAT HAD OCCURRED. A CANINE UNIT RESPONDED TO THE AREA AND SEARCHED WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. THE AIR UNIT WAS ALSO CONTACTED AND RESPONDED TO SEARCH THE IMMEDIATE AREA WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. AFTER OBTAINING FURTHER SUSPECT INFORMATION, HE WAS IDENTIFIED AS MR STEVEN PRENDERGAST, A WHITE MALE WHO RESIDES AT 1641 SHADY TERRACE, IN INVERNESS, FLORIDA. DEPUTY MATT PAUL RESPONDED TO THAT ADDRESS AND MADE CONTACT WITH THE SUSPECT'S FATHER TO OBTAIN PERSONAL INFORMATION ON THE SUSPECT. THE FATHER SAID HE WOULD CONTACT THE CITRUS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE WHEN THE SUSPECT RETURNED HOME SO WE COULD MAKE CONTACT REFERENCE THIS CASE. PHOTOGRAPHS WERE TAKEN OF THE VICTIM'S INJURIES, AS WELL AS THE POCKET KNIFE THAT THE VICTIM USED. SAID POCKET KNIFE WAS THEN TAKEN INTO EVIDENCE. AS PREVIOUSLY STATED, ALL WITNESSES ON SCENE WHO WERE PART OF THE ALTERCATION PROVIDED STATEMENTS WHICH WILL BE TURNED INTO RECORDS. PROBABLE CAUSE EXISTS FOR THE SUSPECT'S ARREST AT THIS TIME. ATTEMPTS WILL BE MADE TO LOCATE THE SUSPECT. A FOLLOW-UP IS TO BE COMPLETED ON 090509. CRIME SCENE TECHNICIAN (CST) REPORT WILL BE COMPLETED BY THIS DEPUTY. ON 090509 THIS DEPUTY WAS CONTACTED BY DEPUTY HOWARD AND ADVISED TO MEET HIM AT 306 LAKE STREET IN REFERENCE TO MAKING CONTACT WITH THE SUSPECT. UPON ARRIVAL, I MADE CONTACT WITH DEPUTY HOWARD WHO ADVISED THE SUSPECT WAS INSIDE THE RESIDENCE UPON HIS ARRIVAL. AT THAT TIME, DEPUTY HOWARD ADVISED ME OF THE CASE NUMBER AND OF THE INFORMATION REGARDING THIS CASE. THE DEFENDANT HAD NO SIGNS OF STAB WOUNDS. I ADVISED THE DEFENDANT HE WAS GOING TO BE PLACED UNDER ARREST FOR BATTERY. HE WAS HANDCUFFED DOUBLE-LOCKED BEHIND HIS BACK AND PLACED IN THE REAR OF MY PATROL VEHICLE. THE DEFENDANT WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY WHERE HIS BOND WAS SET AT $250.00, PER the BOND SCHEDULE. *NOT-EXEMPT* |
