ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A Lake County family law attorney who specializes in divorce and helping domestic violence victims was arrested Tuesday after Orange County deputies say, he bashed up his ex-girlfriend's car and threw a flagpole through the front window of her parents' home.
Barrett "Barry" Burnette, 45, of Longwood, and the victim dated for 10 years off and on and broke up on July 2, according to the arrest report, after Burnette was accused of beating the victim and taking her phone.
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Since July 4 Burnette has been showing up at their Orange County home, the victim's mother told deputies.
Authorities have been called in Orange and Lake counties for three alleged stalking and harassing incidents against Burnette since Aug. 4, according to the report.
The victim's mother said on Tuesday she saw Burnette throw a bottle of vodka through the window of their Ford F150, bend the side mirrors back and break the vehicle's antenna. Burnette then proceeded to pick up a yard decoration and throw it at a Toyota RAV4 in the driveway, breaking the driver's side window, according to the arrest report.
Not finished yet, Burnette allegedly pulled the flagpole from the front of the house and smashed it into the driver's side tail light of the RAV4, deputies were told. Then, Burnette started toward the home, chucking the flagpole through the front window of the house, the victim's mother told deputies. Deputies photographed evidence of the destruction to the vehicles and the house, where the window was shattered, according to the report.
The victim's mother told deputies she believed Burnette intended to break in and kill her and her family.
Burnette left in his BMW SUV and was arrested Tuesday in Lake County by deputies.
He was booked into the Lake County Jail on charges of burglary, aggravated stalking, domestic violence, throwing a deadly missile into a home and felony criminal mischief.
According to Burnette's Tavares law firm website, he offers his clients “a wealth of knowledge and more than 15 years of experience to Central Florida residents who face divorce or the end of a non-marital relationship.”
Burnette also offers “immediate steps to protect victims” of domestic violence, according to barryburnettelaw.com.