A man on horseback wasn’t able to escape a deputy Tuesday afternoon.
The deputy was notified of a trespasser at the Ashton Biological Preserve, at 22215 SW 119th Ave., at about 4:10 p.m., according to an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office arrest report.
The trespasser, Scott Jameson Welts, 51, of Archer, was accused of trying to run a man over with his horse in November, the report said. The man, who works at the research center, filmed Weltz on his cellphone riding his horse toward him.
He jumped to the side and shoved the horse’s face away from him, the report said. The man said Weltz constantly rides his horse up to the gates of the research center to call him names and told his dogs to attack him.
While a deputy drove to Weltz’s residence, which is near the center, he saw him riding his horse toward him on the 11900 block of Southwest 230th Street, the report said. The deputy parked and told Weltz to stop and get off his horse.
Weltz commanded his horse to go faster and rode past the deputy, the report said. The deputy followed in his patrol car, pulled alongside him and told him he was under arrest and to get off the horse.
Weltz then fled into the woods, the arrest report said. Deputies set up a perimeter and later arrested him.
The horse was safely returned to family that was in the area, ACSO spokesperson Art Forgey said.
He was charged with failing to obey law enforcement and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, the report said.
Weltz remained in the Alachua County Jail Wednesday in lieu of a $12,500 bond.
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that the horse is fine and was turned over to family at the scene. The Alligator originally reported differently.
Weltz
