Staff report

NEWBERRY, Fla. – Lonnie Joe Ward, Jr., 47, was arrested last night and charged with lewd/lascivious behavior with a victim under the age of 16 after allegedly touching a girl inappropriately at a haunted house in Jonesville.

An Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to the haunted house, where the victim reportedly said she was one of the “scare actors” in a haunted house last night and Ward was the last person to go through the haunted house. She said she was sitting in a chair and a second juvenile was standing behind her; when Ward entered the area, she said, he walked over to her, bent down, and touched her inappropriately over her clothes. She said he then grabbed her arm and held onto it for about 30 seconds, stared at her “in a bizarre manner,” then let go and left the area.

The juvenile standing behind the victim reportedly said he saw Ward touch the victim inappropriately while staring at her for about five seconds, then he grabbed her arm for about 30 seconds while continuing to stare at her. He said Ward then looked at him and tried to “play it off,” looking surprised, before leaving the area.

Post Miranda, Ward denied that he had touched anyone in the haunted house and said he had been looking for his son.

Ward has a 1996 felony conviction for uttering a forged instrument and a 2009 misdemeanor conviction for possession of drug equipment. Judge Adam Lee ordered him held without bail.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.