Sumter man found hiding naked in tree, charged with assault and battery after argument

A 46-year-old man was charged with assault and battery after he was found hiding naked in a tree.

At about 2:11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 2, Sumter County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an assault at a home on Paige Drive.

 Witnesses told deputies on scene that Kelly Jack Breland, 46, of Sumter, and another resident were arguing when Breland became violent and assaulted the other individual before fleeing the home without clothing, according to Mark Bordeaux, public information officer for Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.

After a brief search, deputies located Breland hiding in a nearby tree. He was taken into custody without incident.

Breland was charged with second-degree assault and battery and third-degree domestic violence, Bordeaux said. He was taken to Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center, where he is  being held on a $25,000 bond.

An investigation is ongoing.