TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Highlands Today

Men Charged With Stalking, Arson

Courtesy photo

Kevin A. Farmer, Jason Ryan Garrett

ADVERTISEMENT

By Joe  Seelig | Highlands Today

Published: December 21, 2007

SEBRING — Two Sebring men remained in Highlands County Jail without bond Friday, charged in connection with stalking an ex-girlfriend of the older suspect and trying to burn her new boyfriend's motorcycle using a Molotov cocktail.

Kevin A. Farmer, 46, of 2102 Roseland Ave., was charged with aggravated stalking, following, harassing or threatening with death or injury, second-degree arson, criminal mischief with damage $200 or less.

Jason Ryan Garrett, 24, of 2102 Roseland Ave., was charged as an accessory to aggravated stalking, following, harassing or threatening with death or injury and second-degree arson.

Garrett additionally was charged with violation of probation for possession of hydrocodone, felony driving while driver's license suspended or revoked and driving under the influence of alcohol of drugs (DUI).

At about 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sebring police were called to the 1800 block of Wightman Avenue about a disturbance.

A female victim and her boyfriend told police that Farmer, her ex-boyfriend, had been over and started an argument with them.

Farmer was contacted at his home and was advised by Sebring police to stay away from his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend.

Farmer said he would, the report stated.

At about 11 p.m. Farmer and Garrett allegedly returned to the boyfriend's home and threw a lit Coca Cola bottle with a gasoline soaked rag under the boyfriend's 2004 Harley Davidson motorcycle, according to the arrest report.

The bottle failed to break.

The boyfriend and Sebring police officer Ray Rossy kicked the bottle away from the bike and extinguished it before it could cause any damage, Sebring Police Lt. Bruce Crum said Thursday. Fortunately, it did not explode.

"The bottle was on fire," Crum said. "But we have the bottle."

Police say over a short period of time, Farmer maliciously and repeatedly harassed the victim leaving "a variety of voice mails on her phone ranging from malicious laughter to telling that she should not go home," the report stated.

Because the victim continued to receive threatening phone calls, police Cpl. Robert McConnell Rossy remained in the area.

Between midnight and 12:27 a.m., Farmer, accompanied by Garrett, reportedly drove past the male victim's Wightman address four times.

Farmer reportedly parked his car at 1900 Melady Ave., and sneaked behind the Wightman Avenue residence and broke the victim's bedroom window with a pry bar.

That was when police cornered him and placed him under arrest.

Garrett was seated in Farmer's 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser, when he was arrested, police say, because at no time did he try to stop Farmer, or get away from Farmer to call police.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT