OCALA, Fla. – A young woman’s latest arrest happened moments after she laughed at the police officers who’d knocked on her parents’ door. The question now, of course, is will she get the last laugh?
Those officers in Florida went to a hotel to investigate “a reported hit-and-run crash involving a silver Nissan sedan with its bumper hanging off, and a black Saab,” on the night of Dec. 12.
“I spoke to the registered owner of the Saab,” an officer wrote in the arrest report, who said a woman showed up at the front desk and reported her friend Leila Maria Musante “had hit a vehicle in the parking lot and drove off. The worker notified [the Saab’s owner], as he was the maintenance man for the hotel.”
That friend of the suspect reportedly told police, “She and Leila were out downtown earlier in the night.” Then later, “Leila dropped her off at the hotel, and as Leila was backing up out of the parking space, Leila’s passenger front bumper struck the driver’s rear quarter panel to [the Saab owner’s] unoccupied vehicle. [The friend] advised she witnessed Leila drive off with her bumper almost falling off.
“[The friend] provided me her information, which I was able to confirm,” the officer continued, “and discover Leila’s tag number. Running Leila’s tag through [the police computer], I asked dispatch to send an officer to Leila’s address in an attempt to locate the vehicle.”
That wasn’t very difficult.
“[An officer] responded and located the vehicle parked in the driveway of the residence,” the arrest report said. “Laila’s vehicle had severe damage to the front passenger quarter panel with the bumper barely hanging on. Laila’s vehicle also had white paint transfer, which was evident on [the Saab owner’s] vehicle.
“I responded to Leila’s residence, where I contacted Leila’s parents, who advised Leila was sleeping. Leila’s parents went and woke Leila up, and Leila invited officers inside her residence to speak to her. Leila admitted to dropping off [her friend] at the [hotel] but denied hitting any vehicle. Leila walked off with officers outside to show us the damage, and she confirmed officers’ beliefs that the front passenger damage was ‘fresh.’
“Leila stated the damage to her front passenger side ‘may have been from a hit-and-run.’ Leila then stated ‘I made it home’ and started laughing, signaling that officers possibly can’t prove that she was driving under the influence.”
That may be true; Musante was not charged with DUI. She was arrested for leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage.
Less than four months earlier, Musante was arrested for a more serious crime involving her live-in boyfriend of a year-and-a-half, and the violence reportedly happened in front of their three-year-old son.
The victim told police they were arguing, but it “turned physical when the defendant attempted to stab the victim with a steak knife,” the arrest report said.
“The victim was extremely emotional throughout our interaction,” an officer continued, “and advised the defendant had battered him in the past. The victim showed a small puncture wound on his right hand, and a small, still bleeding cut on his right forearm. The victim denied medical attention.”
The officer mentioned blood on Musante’s shirt when they started talking.
“At first, the defendant advised it was her blood,” the arrest report said, “and was from when the victim slammed her head into the wall, causing her head to bleed. The defendant showed me on her head where she was struck. No bump, bruise, abrasion, or cut was visible. The defendant later spontaneously admitted to using the knife against the victim, but advised it was to defend herself from the victim.”
Considering the evidence and the “spontaneous admission,” Musante was arrested for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Then, in jail, she reportedly told the cop, “She did not stab the victim with a knife. When asked about her previous statements, she acknowledged she made them, but continued to deny using a knife.”
Announcement of No Information, Sept. 29, 2024 by Lenny Cohen on Scribd
A month later, prosecutors decided not to pursue the charge. The reason was not Musante. Instead, “The victim does not remember material details, claims the incident was not physical, and is otherwise uncooperative with prosecution, making the likelihood of a conviction at trial slight.”
She was in trouble with a domestic violence victim in January 2022, and it wasn’t the first time. That person’s name and address were redacted from the arrest report.
Officers responded to a disturbance, but the arrest report did not describe the disturbance. That wasn’t necessary.
A deputy at the scene “conducted a criminal history check of the defendant, Leila Musante, which revealed the defendant to have active domestic bond conditions against the victim, [name].”
Those conditions were pretty specific:
“The defendant shall not return to the residence of the alleged victim located at [address].
“The defendant shall not come within 500 feet of the premises where the alleged victim lives or works, nor go to the places where the alleged victim frequents on a regular basis. The defendant shall not knowingly come within 100 feet of the alleged victim’s motor vehicle.
“The defendant shall not have any contact with the alleged victim directly or indirectly, or through third parties by mail, telephone, email, social media, texting, electronically, or any other manner.”
Musante was there, and she was arrested for violating a domestic violence injunction.
In jail, the deputy wrote, “The defendant told me the victim picked her up and brought her to the incident location because the victim told her the victim’s current significant other was battering her grandmother, and the victim needed help in dealing with the issue.”
True or not, that led to her longest stay behind bars by far: two months. That’s when she took a plea deal and was sentenced to 60 days in jail, with time served, plus fines and court costs, which she paid off monthly for nearly two years.
Musante’s first arrest happened Oct. 31, 2021, when deputies were called about “a suspicious person that was passed out on the side of the road.” She was that person, and a family member was one of the victims.
Paramedics got there first and were “dealing with and [sic] aggressive female subject,” the arrest report said. A lieutenant told deputies, “Musante was passed out on the side of the road, and when they got her up, she became very aggressive and slapped him in the face.
“[The lieutenant] stated that the defendant got away from them, ran down the road, and started punching another [woman], later identified as victim, [name]. [The lieutenant] stated that he and the other medics were able to secure the defendant and place her into the back of the ambulance where she was still being very combative. I observed a cut on [the victim’s] right cheek that he [sic] advised happened when they defended [sic] slapped him due her having a ring on her finger.
“I made contact with [the victim] who advised that she received a phone call from her niece, the defendant, who she lives with, needing a ride. [The victim] advise[d] that when she got to the location, she observed the defend[ant] slap the medic, and then the defendant ran towards her yelling. [The victim] advised that the defendant appeared to be intoxicated, yelling at her that this was her fault, and started punching her in the face.
“I observed [the victim’s] right side of her face to be red, which she advised is where the defendant punched her.”
Musante was taken from the ambulance and “placed” in a patrol vehicle, “very upset, cursing, and yelling at the medics and her aunt, [the victim]. The defendant did state that she hit victim [the lieutenant].
She was arrested for domestic battery and battery on a paramedic/law enforcement officer. That was on Halloween night 2021.
Waiver of Rights and Plea Agreement, Feb. 14, 2022 by Lenny Cohen on Scribd
On Valentine’s Day 2022, she took a plea deal and was sentenced to time served and three years of probation, plus fines and court costs, an anger management course, counseling, community service, alcohol and drug screenings.
Musante seemed to be fulfilling her requirements. In fact, in September 2023, the judge granted a motion canceling her community service hours.
Then, in February 2024, she mailed a letter to the judge, asking “to be considered for early termination of probation.” She wrote she “completed all obligations.” Also, “As you already know, I am about to give birth to my first child and want to buy a home and move out of town. I have done very well for myself and would like to move on.”
The judge ordered a hearing and granted her request.
The steak knife battery arrest took place six months later. There is no explanation for the age of the “three-year-old son” mentioned in that arrest report.
The only charge Musante, 23, still faces is leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage, which is a misdemeanor. She also got a ticket that night for having an expired registration.
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