Cops: Man Almost Hits Repo Man With Van

A Lake Placid man is out of jail after being arrested Friday on warrants alleging that he almost hit a repo man with his van in July 2008.

Robert Nevins, 49, of 551 Dal Hall Blvd., Lake Placid, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill and one count of misdemeanor battery.

On July 18, 2008, Nevins was talking with two men in a Golfview Road driveway in Sebring. One of them said he worked for Country Motors and had been trying to find Nevins for several months so he could repossess the suspect's van for not making payments, according to the warrant report.

The Country Motors employee told Nevins who he was and that he would be repossessing the Chevrolet Astro van.

The victim got into the driver's side and was about to put the vehicle into gear when Nevins allegedly grabbed him and threw him to the ground.

The second man was standing in front of the van and counting money by the headlights when the vehicle came toward him. He jumped to the side and slammed the hood to warn Nevins that he was almost hit, the report stated.

As this was happening, the repo man went to the back of the van in the hopes that Nevins wouldn't leave, according to the victim's statement to authorities.

Nevins then put the van in reverse and backed quickly toward the victim, who jumped out of the way to avoid being hit. The suspect then sped from the area.

The second man said Nevins came to his home because of money he was still owed for work done in the suspect's shop, the report stated.

He was counting it in the van's headlights because of stories he had heard about Nevins allegedly owing money to people throughout the county.

Sebring Police Officer Sharon Cornine made the arrest.