Judge dismisses stalking injunction against Oviedo mayor

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A judge dismissed an injunction Thursday against the mayor of Oviedo after the mayor was accused of threatening to kill his neighbor during a confrontation outside his neighbor's home.

Circuit Court Judge Jerri Collins said there wasn't enough evidence to warrant the injunction for stalking, which was filed by Jennifer Bain last month.

"I wanted to prove to people bullying is not accepted nowadays, and he is a bully," Bain said.

During the May 13 incident, police were called to Suncrest Court after Bain and her husband said their neighbor, Mayor Dominic Persampiere, had threatened to shoot them.

The threat was recorded on Bain's daughter's cellphone.

Bain showed the officer a video of Persampiere at their doorstep, saying, "You ever talk to my kid like that again, I'll get my gun and I'll come over there and I'll (expletive) kill you. Take my picture, here I am, record this. She lost her damn cat. Go ahead, put it on Facebook. You're both (expletive) (expletives)," according to the report.

Persampiere explained to the officer that his daughter was using the flashlight on her phone to walk around the neighborhood, looking for her cat, and the neighbors thought she was taking pictures of their home to report a potential violation to the homeowners association.

The mayor's wife is president of the neighborhood homeowners association. Both the mayor and Bain said they've had HOA issues in the past.

Persampiere said his neighbors "verbally assaulted" his 26-year-old daughter, which Bain denied.

During Thursday's hearing, Collins said the threat from Persampiere was concerning, but case law showed there wasn't enough to permit the injunction.

After the ruling was made, Persampeire said he wanted to put the issue behind him.

"I'm very pleased at the outcome," Persampiere said. "I chose bad words, but now it's just time to move on."