LEESBURG, Florida—A Leesburg man is being held in the Lake County Jail on more than $100,000 bond after being accused of stalking his LGBTQ neighbors since at least September, violating an injunction and fighting the deputies who were trying to arrest him Tuesday, according to an arrest affidavit.
Frank Randall Norviel, 57, of the Bassville Park area of Leesburg, is accused of a litany of crimes stemming from his alleged stalking of his neighbors beginning in September when he stood in his yard on Marlette Avenue and repeatedly squeaked a rubber chicken at the victims and screamed, “It’s not Adam and Steve!” the affidavit states.
On Dec. 29, Norviel is alleged to have ridden by the victims on his bicycle screaming out LGBTQ slurs and Jan. 2, he is accused of walking into the victim’s yard screaming slurs again and told one of victim’s minor son he was going to kill their cat and eat it. On Jan. 3, due to the repeated incidents, the two men were granted temporary injunctions for protection, according to Lake County Clerk online records.
Just three days later, Norviel was captured on video hanging a stick with blue underwear on the end over the victims’ driveway, in addition to putting a white cross on the fence facing the victims’ home. The victims told a Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputy they believed the cross was associated with the Ku Klux Klan (KKK.)
Deputies went to Norviel’s home to talk to hm and found him sitting on the front porch. He stepped away from deputies and stepped into his home and closed the door, keeping the deputies out.
The following week, on Tuesday, an LCSO sergeant was canvassing the area near Norviel’s home and saw a light on and heard noises coming from the backyard. Norviel ran to his door and began fumbling with keys to unlock the door. LCSO ordered him to stop and come to them and he ignored them and kept trying to enter the residence, according to the affidavit.
The sergeant reached for Norviel, and both fell to the ground; they struggled and Norviel tried to swing at the sergeant, and he was able to get one handcuff on him. Norviel swung his handcuffed hand at deputies, cutting one of them and tried to engage the sergeant again. Norviel was tased and fell down with taser prongs still stuck in him, the affidavit states.
Backup arrived and attempted to place Norviel in handcuffs and he struggled again; a second deputy tased him and he was taken into custody.
Norviel was arrested for aggravated stalking – hate crime, violation of an injunction, resisting with violence, resisting without violence and battery on a law enforcement officer. He is being held in LCJ on $113,000 bond.
