A Villager was arrested after she was caught panhandling on a median.
Lucretia Merry Hewson, 51, who lives on the Historic Side of The Villages, was spotted Wednesday on the median at the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 441 and SE Hwy. 42 in Summerfield, not far from Mulberry Grove Plaza in The Villages, according to an arrest report from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Three days earlier she had been issued a trespass warning on behalf of the Florida Department of Transportation banning her from returning to that median, which has been popular spot for panhandlers.
When she was taken into custody, Hewson claimed she has suffered a brain injury which has interfered with her memory. She said she did not remember the previous interaction or the trespass notice. However, the deputy who wrote the arrest report noted that when Hewson noticed his presence, she tried to walk away from the median to avoid acknowledging the deputy. She was taken into custody on a charge of trespassing and booked at the Marion County Jail…