LEESBURG, Florida — What started as a frustrating argument over dog poop in a driveway ended with a man in handcuffs, felony charges, and a neighbor’s house covered in feces.
Trey Decloedt, 35, was arrested on Aug. 8 after a confrontation with his neighbors turned physical in a way that shocked even responding officers.
The dispute had been building for weeks
Decloedt and his neighbors had been locked in an ongoing argument over dog feces being left on both their driveways.
On Aug. 7, Decloedt reached his breaking point.
According to a police affidavit, he entered his neighbor’s home without permission — visibly irate and allegedly carrying dog feces in his hand.
What happened inside the home
Once inside, Decloedt began yelling at the couple.
He then allegedly threw the dog feces directly at the husband, striking him.
The husband shoved Decloedt back out of the home and into the carport, where a physical fight broke out between the two men.
A scooter became a weapon
After allegedly punching the husband in the face, Decloedt picked up a child’s scooter.
He raised the metal frame above his head in what police described as a menacing posture and verbally threatened his neighbor.
When officers arrived, they found a red mark on the husband’s forehead and animal feces smeared on the outside of the neighbor’s house.
Decloedt told his side of the story
On body camera footage, Decloedt told police he had spoken to his neighbor’s wife about the dog feces in his yard. She agreed to clean it up — but four hours later, it was still there.
He said he was invited over by his neighbor to talk it out. Once he arrived, he claimed his neighbor shoved him first in the doorway.
Decloedt also told police that he and his neighbor used to be close friends and had an agreement to enter each other’s homes without knocking.
Police checked that claim with the neighbor — who immediately played them a video of himself telling Decloedt not to come to his property regarding the dispute.
Charges and what comes next
Decloedt was charged with aggravated battery, burglary with assault or battery, and simple battery.
He posted $16,000 bond on Aug. 9 and was released. His next court date is set for Aug. 31.
What started as a neighbor disagreement over a dog now carries consequences that could follow him for years.
Have you ever dealt with a neighbor dispute that got out of hand? What would you have done differently? Drop your thoughts in the comments.