A DeLand man will face a judge Sept. 18 on accusations he tried to evict a homeless couple from his property with a bulldozer and a powerful assault rifle that he fired at them.
Juan Olascoaga, 31, and two other men, confronted the homeless man, Terry Gordon, and woman, Christine Parker, at their makeshift camp in the 2600 block of North Woodland Boulevard on Aug. 27 at around 10:40 a.m., according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
Olascoaga was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and trafficking in cocaine. He is out of the Volusia County Branch Jail on $35,000 bail.
911 caller: One male had a machine gun
Investigating deputies said that when Olascoaga showed up at the camp, barking dogs woke up Gordon. As deputies were being dispatched, they were told the 911 caller reported that “one male had a machine gun,” an arrest report shows.
Gordon and Parker said Olascoaga had a rifle with a drum-style magazine slung on his body and a handgun on his hip. He was accompanied by a man operating the bulldozer and another, who was armed with a handgun, deputies said.
Gordon said Olascoaga had recently become the new owner of the property and had come to destroy Gordon’s camp. He said he argued with Olascoaga and was told to leave or he would be shot, according to an arrest report.
Fired two shots at homeless man’s feet
As the bulldozer approached the homeless camp, Gordon said he intervened and told Olascoaga he’d have to shoot him, the report states.
Olascoaga then fired two shots from his assault rifle into the ground near Gordon’s feet, but did not strike him, investigating deputies said.
Parker said another armed man pointed a handgun at her, saying, “I will shoot those dogs,” deputies wrote in the report.
Parker told Olascoaga and his companions that she had called 911, and the police were on their way. Olascoaga left and went home.
Olascoaga declined to speak with deputies. At his home, deputies broke open the door and found the rifle with the drum magazine on a bed in a bedroom, the report detailed.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: DeLand man uses assault rifle, bulldozer in attempt to kick homeless couple off his land
Reporting by Patricio G. Balona, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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