Welcome to Arrest Stories. A sixty-eight-year-old former college football coach faces felony charges after allegedly attacking his ex-girlfriend and stealing her luxury handbags worth thousands of dollars at a St. Petersburg apartment complex. Here's what may have happened.
Monday evening turned violent at the Ibis Walk Apartments in St. Petersburg when Jim Leavitt allegedly confronted his former live-in girlfriend around seven o'clock. According to police reports, the sixty-eight-year-old struck the woman during what investigators describe as a domestic-related incident.
The situation escalated when the victim attempted to leave the scene. Police say Leavitt grabbed his ex-girlfriend by the arm as she tried to walk away, then seized her Louis Vuitton purse, clutch bag, and wallet. The luxury items carried a collective value between five thousand and ten thousand dollars, elevating the charges to felony grand theft.
The confrontation didn't end there. A man at the same apartment complex became involved in the altercation. According to official reports, Leavitt "walked into his right hand, making contact with the victim's chest," pushing the individual on the sidewalk. While the man sustained no bodily harm, the incident added simple battery charges to Leavitt's mounting legal troubles.
Police reports indicate Leavitt refused to return the stolen belongings when confronted. The suspect allegedly admitted to taking the items while attempting to speak with his former girlfriend, demonstrating what authorities characterize as controlling behavior during the domestic dispute.
The timing proves particularly unfortunate for Leavitt, who was scheduled for induction into the University of South Florida Athletic Hall of Fame. The ceremony was set to honor his contributions as the university's first football coach, hired in nineteen ninety-six, who led the Bulls to their historic number two national ranking in two thousand seven.
The arrest on charges of domestic battery, simple battery, and felony grand theft marks a dramatic fall for the former coach who once received praise for elevating university athletics programs.
All suspects presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Do not take this report as factual, always verify facts. Thanks for watching Arrest Stories.