Bonita Springs man accused of hitting man in head with wooden plank over gated community dispute

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. —

A Bonita Springs man was arrested on Wednesday after being accused of hitting a man with a wooden plank over a dispute at a gated community.

According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office arrest report, the victim was at the front gate of the Southern Pines community at around 5:30 p.m.

The victim was entering the community on the residential side of the gate when he saw a gray Ford F-150 tailgating him as he entered. The victim stopped his vehicle and exited to explain to the driver of the truck, identified as James Pugin, 74, that he needed to allow the gate to lower and then enter the community using his own bar code, the report said.

Pugin then replied to the victim,"[Expletive] you, I live here," the report said. The victim then tried to take a photograph of Pugin's license plate to send to the HOA, but Pugin got out of his truck and punched the victim on the chin.

Pugin then grabbed a 4-foot piece of wood from the bed of his pickup truck and hit the victim in the head with it, causing a cut on the victim's left ear, the report said.

The victim then went to his own vehicle and grabbed a baton to defend himself. Pugin fled the scene, the report stated.

Deputies collected witness statements that corroborated the victim's story. Pugin was arrested and faces a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

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