Man arrested for knocking Tesla driver unconscious because he was angry about speeding in his neighborhood
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – William David Eskelin-Leaton, 37, was arrested on Monday after allegedly blocking the path of a Tesla driver and then punching the 16-year-old driver, who lost consciousness; Eskelin-Leaton reportedly said he was angry that the victim was “always speeding through the neighborhood.”
At about 8:20 p.m. on May 19, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to the entrance to Countryside (the 10800 block of NW 39th Avenue), where the victim said he was leaving a friend’s house to go home and was stopped at NW 39th Avenue in his Tesla when a white Jaguar SUV pulled in front of him, blocking him from leaving. The victim said he rolled down his window to ask the Jaguar driver what he wanted, and the Jaguar driver yelled at him about speeding through the neighborhood.
The victim said he rolled his window down, turned down his music, and tried to apologize, but the Jaguar driver punched him in the eye through the window. The victim said he lost consciousness and saw “stars” when he regained consciousness. The deputy reported that the victim had a swollen left eye.
The deputy used law enforcement databases to identify the Jaguar driver as Eskelin-Leaton and detained him. The victim and a witness provided a positive identification, and Eskelin-Leaton was arrested.
Post Miranda, Eskelin-Leaton reportedly said he was angry with the victim for always speeding through the neighborhood and decided to follow the victim to “get a license plate.” After that, he did not want to say anything else.
Because he allegedly reached into the vehicle to punch the victim, Eskelin-Leaton has been charged with burglary with battery. He has no criminal history, and Judge Kristine Van Vorst set bail at $15,000 but ordered that he could be released on his own recognizance if screening finds that he is eligible for day reporting. He is prohibited from contact with minors.
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.
Sounds like car-envy syndrome.
I don’t think the Jag driver was envious of the Tesla.
Probably pissed off GPD wasn’t around to help prevent the kid from speeding, if he was. If he was a Democrat, he may have gotten triggered by the Tesla in his neighborhood.
That old saying comes into play, never a cop around when you need one.
You mean republicans have absolutely no taste in cars.
Remember that green energy thing? Musk was your hero until he DOGEd you.
The jag would run circles around daddy’s tesla. Maybe if he wasn’t doing 60 in a 25.
This man is a hero. Too many people do not care for traffic laws.
The victim is a 16 year old child. That hero of yours fractured the face of a kid.
Even better. Gave the pompous punk a life lesson.
😂
Wanna drive like a man? Then get punched out like a man. Too bad for lil boy.
I bet he won’t speed in the neighborhood again. I’m not advocating violence, but sometimes enough is enough and people are willing to the pay the consequences to make an impact
So this is how you handle traffic law violations 😂😂😂😂
He concussed a minor. The closed head injury is likely worth 5-10 million in Civil court. This has only begun. The Jag-you-are bozo is in for a long ride, including felony charges and a financial sh*t storm.
This victim is a 16 year old minor!
This is a life lesson. Act right or get dealt with.
Gosh, you are so right. Yall keep going out there and taking those felony charges to teach people lessons. It will get more idiots off the streets
He concussed a minor. The closed head injury is likely worth 5-10 million in Civil court. This has only begun. The Jag-you-are bozo is in for a long ride, including felony charges and a financial sh*t storm.
Looks like the lesson wasn’t learned. Posted in Newberry citizens page recently:
This post is for the jerk driving the white Tesla SUV at interstate speeds in the Country Way Town Square neighborhood last night between 10p-1030p.
You could have EASILY killed my husband, myself which includes our unborn child or our dog. Not even bothering to slow down after you almost lost control on the curve, not after passing us, and doing it a second time is terrifying. I DONT care if there is an open stretch of road, a neighborhood is NOT the place to test the speed of your car- I don’t care what time. I have NEVER seen a car go that fast in a residential neighborhood and I never want to again. I’m a fast driver guilty of speeding a lot but this was not going 10-15 mph over.
This is a place I want to feel safe walking my dog and baby without fear of some irresponsible person killing us.
If this is some kid, parents please educate on high speeds in an area like this because the guilt and expense of someone’s life if NOT worth it. I’ve seen it personally as an ER nurse.
Thank you.
They’ve definitely got a point, but…
We lived in a 30 mph neighborhood (too fast, in my opinion) and never sped through it. However, while driving down the road once one of the neighbors (who had his kids’ swingset in the front yard of all places) screamed at us to “slow the f*** down”. We were only going 20! That said, unless you have a radar detector you really can’t determine how fast that car is going. In his eyes, we appeared to be going 40 (we asked him how fast he thought we were traveling).
Fact #1 Anon: This article is about a white SUV Tesla, not the same as the one involved in this incident.
Fact #2: Even if it were the same type of car, there are dozens (if not more) white teslas in and around Gainesville.
Fact #3: You don’t have the right to assault a minor child no matter what they are doing.
I absolutely agree with you!! And these people saying he’s a 16 year old minor!!! He knows better. A 16 year old minor driving a jeep in our gated community swerved to hit me when I was walking my dog and sadly the cops agreed he’s a minor… that intentionally almost ran me over.
No one should take Law into their own hands, but since Tesla records all driving it should be entered into Evidence whether or Not he was Speeding and Breaking the Law and if so be charged for his crimes as well
Victim shaming at its finest
Excellent point. The incident was recorded by the multiple cameras on the Tesla as well.
Speeding in a residential neighborhood is asking for it…
Just like dressing provocatively makes it okay to be raped. You were asking for it 🤦🏼♀️ we literally live in a world of idiots
What is punching a kid asking for? If he did that to me, I would make a sport of doing stuff to him for the rest of his life. Maybe get the PSI in your head checked. We have no idea what really happened, anyway.
The moment Eskelin-Leaton would have approached me I would have knocked him out. Too bad that kid’s father never taught him how to fight.
The should charge him with kidnapping and false imprisonment also.
The driver was 16. Somehow I don’t think it was “his” Tesla. Likely his parents.
Hence today’s sense of entitlement held by many kids today.
16-year-olds don’t generally buy automobiles, guns, alcohol, cigarettes, etc. I think a moron kid who hasn’t learned to drive and takes Ubers everywhere is more entitled. Independence is better.
The madness continues….due to glitches in our matrix. It’s going to get worse before it gets better.
Teenagers have 0 accountability. Kids lucky he’s even alive. I know that place. Too many young kids and young families there. Didn’t go far enough. If kid wants to drive like a man, then he can get punched out as a man.
Has everyone forgotten what it’s like to be a teenager? I’m not saying he’s in the right speeding, but we’ve all been teens doing dumb things. We grow and we learn. That gives nobody the right to get mad and lay their hands on him. 16 is a child no matter what anyone thinks.
What’s funny is that this man claims he was mad the kid was speeding, but the Tesla shows the car never going even at the speed limit until the lunatic started chasing him. He better come up with a better excuse.
I just don’t know why the post decided to focus on the car types, lmao, that really pulled focus. It’s factually about a kid doing something wrong and speeding, and an adult doing something wrong and punching him out, lol. I hope the kid learns his lesson, and I hope the guy works on cooling it, but I get it I think his kids play outside a lot.
That teenager in that white car used to visit the neighbors, but usually drove very fast and recklessly; he almost ran over me and my kids a few times. I disagree with hitting any kids, but the boy endangered the kids who typically play in the area, and many older adults who walk around.. I hope he learns his lesson of responsibility and doesn’t become a victim of himself. I think the aggressor also has kids who were endangered. And he should have called the police instead of hitting him because the boy is out of control.