A 31-year-old Ocala man is facing a felony aggravated assault charge after he was accused of pointing a gun at a man who was standing outside of a local bar.
On Sunday, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to Duffy’s Pub located at 16620 W Highway 40 in Ocala. Upon arrival, the deputy made contact with the victim who advised that he was standing in front of the food truck located outside of the bar when the incident occurred, according to the arrest report.
The victim told the deputy that a man wearing a black trench coat and black cowboy hat began walking toward him with “something bulky” in his hand, which was pointed toward the victim. According to the victim, the man started talking to him, but he was unable to hear what was being said.
Out of fear for his safety, the victim advised that he ran to the back of the incident location. He claimed that he had never talked to the man before and was unsure why the incident occurred, according to the report.
The deputy noted in the report that a bartender at the incident location identified the male suspect as Omar Sanchez.
While investigating the area outside the bar, the deputy spotted Sanchez underneath the food truck. He was detained in handcuffs, and the deputy observed that a firearm was being openly carried in a holster on Sanchez’s belt. In addition, the report stated that a machete, hatchet, and numerous rounds of ammunition were also found in his possession.
After being read his Miranda rights, Sanchez stated that he overheard the victim “talk on the phone to someone about the bartender being alone after the bar is closed.” He stated that he “did not like that statement,” and he claimed that he was staying at the bar to “protect” the bartender, according to the report.
During the post-Miranda interview, Sanchez advised that he saw the victim standing near the food truck outside the bar, and he admitted to pointing his firearm at the victim. He claimed that he then asked the victim to leave, and the victim proceeded to run to the back of the bar.
Sanchez told the deputy that he stayed in front of the incident location to make sure that the victim would not return. He then advised that he hid under the food truck because he knew that he had an active warrant out of Marion County for a DUI with property damage, and he did not want to go to jail, according to the report.
Sanchez was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $2,500 bond. He is being charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and openly carrying a firearm.
A court date has been scheduled at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 2 for the DUI charge. He is also scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, November 7 for the aggravated assault and firearm charges.