Lake City man arrested for threatening elderly woman and her son with a hammer

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Salaam Sabir Payton, 44, was arrested yesterday and charged with battery on a person over the age of 65, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and property damage after allegedly threatening a 70-year-old woman and her son with a hammer.

An Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to a report at about 3 p.m. yesterday that Payton had pushed a 70-year-old woman during an argument over a civil dispute. The victims reported that Payton held a hammer above his head while advancing toward the woman. The woman’s son armed himself with a kitchen knife in an attempt to defend his mother, and Payton allegedly advanced toward the son with the hammer. Payton also allegedly struck the living room wall with the hammer, damaging the wall. The deputy reported that the damage to the wall matched the victims’ accounts of the incident.

Post Miranda, Payton reportedly denied any physical altercation and denied threatening anyone with a hammer.

Payton has five felony convictions, with the most recent in 2012, and has served one state prison term. Judge Bo Bayer set bail at $400,000.

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.