SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. – A man from The Villages has been arrested after a senior died from his injuries due to a beatdown at a nearby country club, according to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
An affidavit shows that on June 28, an 87-year-old man and his wife were at the parking lot of the Glenview Country Club when he struck another vehicle.
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At this time, another man — identified as 75-year-old Robert Moore — came across the crash and said, “What the hell, you hit my car!” the affidavit states.
The 87-year-old admitted to the crash and asked to exchange insurance information, though Moore instead punched him in his jaw, detectives said. Moore continued to hit the man even as he put up his hands to defend himself, the affidavit says.
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According to investigators, Moore then realized that the vehicle didn’t actually belong to him, so he left the scene in search of his actual vehicle.
Deputies said they were called to the scene, where they learned about what had happened from the victim’s wife.
Surveillance footage from inside the country club’s restaurant revealed that Moore had walked back into the building immediately following the 911 call, where he bumped into a server carrying drinks, causing the server to spill the drinks onto a customer at the bar, deputies said.
He left the restaurant about a minute later, though deputies didn’t report seeing him at the scene, the affidavit states.
The 87-year-old victim was taken to the hospital, where it was discovered that he had a brain bleed, according to investigators.
Using an article from Villages News about a hole-in-one that Moore had scored at the Tarpon Boil Executive Golf Course and credit card details found at the restaurant, deputies said they were later able to identify Moore as the suspect in the attack.
However, the victim’s health began to rapidly decline, and he died on July 16 from injuries sustained in the attack, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies said they later contacted Moore, who explained that the victim had placed his hands on Moore’s shirt and arms, prompting Moore to strike him. Moore also said that he awaited police on the front porch of the restaurant after the incident, though surveillance footage contradicted his story, detectives said.
Moore was arrested and faces a charge of manslaughter. He was released on bond of $30,000 on July 27.
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