PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — A local man out on bond for a crash that resulted in a man’s death was caught trying to saw off his ankle monitor in a neighboring county, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies say Homer Wiggins has fled Putnam County multiple times since last year, including after warrants were issued for his arrest for leaving the scene of a fatal traffic crash in August 2021. Wiggins was eventually arrested by Panama City Police Department after a patrol officer saw him masturbating outside a restaurant.
The sheriff’s office says Wiggins was extradited back to Putnam County to face charges in the crash. He was released April 19 with an ankle monitor—which leads to the latest development.
On Tuesday, Wiggins was found trying to remove his ankle monitor with a newly-purchased hacksaw on the side of an auto parts store, according to the Bunnell Police Department in Flagler County. Police say the 40-year-old suspect originally purchased a set of wire cutters from the store but exchanged them for a hacksaw when he was unable to remove the ankle monitor.
Wiggins was arrested and charged with tampering with a monitoring device, a felony, and taken to the Flagler County Inmate Facility.
He will once again be extradited back to Putnam County.
BPD shared body camera video of Wiggins’ arrest in Flagler County. You can watch it below.
Action News Jax obtained the report for the deadly crash Wiggins is accused of leaving the scene of last year.
The report states that Wiggins was driving eastbound in a Toyota Tundra on CR-308 when he crossed into the westbound lanes of traffic, colliding head-on with a Dodge Caravan.
The driver of the Caravan later died at a hospital. The passenger of the Toyota Tundra, who police say was the registered owner, suffered a concussion and a head injury that required staples.
In an interview days after the crash, the male passenger told police he had met Wiggins, who referred to himself as “JR”, at the Log Cabin Bar in Welaka on Saturday night. The man told police at the end of the night when he and a friend went to leave, someone asked if “JR” could ride with them because he was staying nearby.
In the report, the male passenger said he helped his friend unload music equipment when he dropped him off—adding he was in a lot of pain because he had recently broken his left hand. It is because of this he said that allowed Wiggens to drive his truck.
The man said the last thing he remembered was “JR” driving on CR-308.