A 65-year-old Winter Park resident was arrested on aggravated assault charges after he allegedly pointed a bow and arrow at another man.
Shortly after 6:50 p.m. on Tuesday, December 9, Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a home located on Oglesby Avenue in Winter Park in reference to an incident involving a deadly weapon, according to the arrest report.
The report stated that a male victim told deputies that he had arrived home on a bicycle when he saw a man, identified as Robert Paone, standing near the side of a nearby residence. Paone was allegedly “aiming a recurve bow at (the victim).”
At the time, the victim advised that he was wearing headphones and did not hear anything that Paone was saying. According to the report, the victim was “in fear for his life” and contacted law enforcement.
A deputy noted in the report that the victim recalled seeing Paone standing near a trailer next to the house, and he was arguing with his landlord. When Paone turned around, he spotted the victim in the street and allegedly “ran towards (the victim)” while wielding a “black or brown crossbow.”
The victim left his bicycle and ran around the property in an attempt to get away from Paone. According to the victim’s statement, Paone allegedly followed him to the back of the home, where a portion of the incident was captured on video surveillance footage.
The report mentioned that Paone was heard on that surveillance footage telling the victim that he “better run” because they were “going to end this now.” A crossbow was allegedly observed in Paone’s left hand, and he proceeded to trip near a ditch, which allowed the victim to run away.
OCSO deputies made contact with Paone outside of his residence. A “recurve bow” was observed on a nearby stand, and Paone allegedly attempted to grab the weapon as deputies were approaching him, according to the report.
When the deputies attempted to detain Paone in handcuffs, he allegedly resisted by pulling his arms away from them. However, Paone was quickly taken to the ground, where he was secured in handcuffs.
During a search of Paone’s home, a crossbow and recurved bow were seized by law enforcement, along with 20 arrows, according to the report.
Paone was placed under arrest and booked into Orange County Jail. He is facing the following charges: two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of resisting a law enforcement officer without violence.
Orange County Court records show that Paone is being represented by a public defender. A court date for Paone has not been scheduled yet.