UMATILLA, Fla. – A man claiming to be a confidential informant for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office broke into a woman’s home and shot one of her dogs with a pellet gun before stealing jewelry and cash, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The victim told deputies she was sleeping on Monday around 7 a.m. when she awoke to someone walking toward her home on Luana Drive yelling they were with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and had a warrant for her arrest.
While the victim ran to her closet to hide, she heard someone try and kick in her door then break out a window and enter her home, according to the arrest report. She told deputies she heard someone enter her bedroom and her three dogs began barking at the man in an attempt to protect her. From the closet, the victim said she heard shooting and one of her dogs yelp in pain. She later found one of her dogs locked in the bathroom with two pellet wounds, according to the report.
The victim said during the break-in she messaged a friend on Facebook telling him someone had broken into her home. The friend came to the home and encounter Jared Hainey, 35, who identified himself as being with the Lake County Sheriff’s office and told the friend to get on the ground, according to the report.
When the friend requested to see Hainey’s badge the suspect pointed a gun at his face and then ran from the home, deputies said. The friend chased Hainey to the area of Lee Street and Hainey fired two shots in the friend’s direction, according to the report.
Deputies said they arrived to find Hainey hiding in the backyard of a home on Claire Drive. He told deputies he was a confidential informant and had been in the middle of “doing a buy” when he was chased by someone with a knife, according to the report.
Authorities found jewelry, cash and a live stream camera that were taken from the victim’s home on Hainey, according to the report. Deputies also found two pocket knives, a small bat and drugs, including crystal meth, on Hainey, according to the report.
The victim initially said that she thought there were two men walking toward her home but authorities have not said if they are looking for a second suspect.
Hainey is charged with home invasion with a firearm, animal cruelty, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of methamphetamine, grand theft, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and impersonating a law enforcement officer.