Man arrested in crowbar attack

A 43-year-old Big Coppitt Key man was arrested Tuesday night after attacking another man with a crowbar and wound up being stabbed when the victim defended himself.

Jason Taylor was charged with aggravated battery, burglary and trespassing.

Deputies were called to a residence on Barcelona Drive on Big Coppitt Key at approximately 11:40 p.m. regarding a fight in progress. There was blood on the ground where the fight occurred.

The victim and a female witness, Taylor’s ex-girlfriend, came out of the residence. Both stated they returned to the residence earlier and Taylor was waiting for them. The female witness added she previously filed for a trespass order against Taylor at the residence. Both stated Taylor was screaming at them and began banging on the residence door when they entered.

Some time went by and the victim went to leave the residence when he was attacked outside by Taylor. Taylor hit with the crowbar multiple times and punched him in the face. The victim said he felt his life was in danger, so he brandished a pocketknife and slashed Taylor in the back. Taylor then fled the scene. Deputies noted the victim was bleeding from the mouth and had other injuries consistent with his story.

Deputies know Taylor from previous encounters with law enforcement. He is known to live on a boat just off Big Coppitt Key. A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Officer arrived and took Deputies out to the bay where Taylor was located and arrested.

Taylor was taken to Lower Keys Medical Center for treatment and then was taken to jail.

Three juveniles arrested in food truck burglary

Three Lower Keys teens were arrested Tuesday for stealing cash and an iPad from the Trianos Taco Company food truck on Big Pine Key earlier this month.

Kristian Levi Lee, 14, of Big Pine Key, and another 14-year-old Big Pine Key juvenile, were both charged with burglary, larceny and damage to property.

A 12-year-old Little Torch juvenile was charged with burglary and larceny.

(Lee has an extensive history with law enforcement, which includes a case last year whereupon he was arrested on Rockland Key with a stolen, loaded 9mm handgun and stolen credit cards while driving a stolen car. That arrest came days after he was arrested in Miami-Dade County for vehicle theft as well.)

In this case, the food truck owner on Big Pine Key notified the Sheriff’s Office on July 6 that his food truck had been burglarized. The cash drawer and iPad he uses to conduct transactions were stolen.

Detectives developed information that one of the juveniles took part in the burglary. That juvenile — and later the other juvenile — confessed to the burglary and larceny. Lee was subsequently identified as the third suspect.

Warrants were obtained for the arrest of all three juveniles.

All three juveniles were arrested and turned over to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice on Tuesday.

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