A 36-year-old man was arrested after deputies say he threatened car wash employees with an ax when they attempted to close for the evening. Bryce Thayer was arrested and charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia following the confrontation at the Tidal Wave Car Wash in Ocala.
The incident began as the staff was finishing their shift on Sunday, March 8. According to Marion County Sheriff’s Deputies, Thayer arrived at the business right at closing time. When employees told him they could no longer accept customers, he allegedly became agitated.
Leodan Pino, an 18-year-old employee at the scene, told Fox 13 that Thayer’s behavior was erratic from the moment he pulled up. Pino recalled the man shouting, “something along the lines of, ‘Where’s my wife? I can’t find my wife.’”
The situation escalated when Thayer allegedly produced an ax and began threatening the workers. Pino, who is trained in mixed martial arts, acted alongside another coworker to neutralize the threat. The two employees managed to push Thayer to the ground, disarm him, and physically restrain him until law enforcement arrived at the scene.
Responding officers searched Thayer and discovered a meth pipe in his possession. Investigators later reviewed security footage from the car wash and collected witness statements, which authorities say corroborated the account provided by the employees.
Thayer is currently being held at the local jail on a $65,000 bond. While the employees were not injured during the scuffle, jail records confirm the felony assault charges filed against Thayer in connection with the encounter.
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