MARION COUNTY, Fla. — The Marion County Sheriff’s Office has released more information about the arrest of a convicted felon from Kentucky.
Deputies arrested 42-year-old Ronald Exantus on Thursday outside his Marion Oaks home.
In 2018, a jury convicted Exantus of assault in a case involving the death of a 6-year-old boy.
Logan Tipton was fatally stabbed in Versailles, Kentucky in 2015, but a jury never convicted Exantus for the killing, by way of insanity.
At a news conference Friday morning, MCSO spokesperson Lt. Paul Bloom said Exantus served less than half of his 20-year sentence when he was recently released from prison and placed on parole. He then moved to Marion County.
Bloom said Exantus didn’t seem to understand why he was being placed under arrest on Thursday.
But investigators said Exantus failed to register his new address with officials when he relocated to Florida, something convicted felons must do within 48 hours.
Bloom said Exantus violated the terms of his probation.
On Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis took to social media following Exantus’ arrest.
“Unbelievable that this scum bag was let out of prison in Kentucky after serving a mere fraction of his sentence for murdering a six year old kid. Don’t mess with the Free State of Florida,” DeSantis posted on X.
In a Facebook post on Oct. 4, the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet issued this statement from the Kentucky Parole Board:
“The Parole Board did not release Ronald Exantus on parole.
Exantus was reviewed for parole on 09/30/2025, as required by state law. The Parole Board issued a decision that Exantus stay in prison for the remainder of his sentence.
Despite this decision, a provision in Kentucky law required the Department of Corrections to release the inmate on Mandatory Reentry Supervision (KRS 439.3406)."
MCSO said its intelligence unit began to investigate after officials received information on Wednesday night that Exantus was likely living within the county.
They soon discovered he was living directly next to Sunrise Elementary School, with only a fence separating the two properties.
After deputies took Exantus into custody, Bloom said Tipton’s family “reached out to us in appreciation.”
Marion County officials now hope that Exantus’ probation violation in Florida lands him far away from the Sunshine State.
“Our hope is that he’s sent back to Kentucky where he came from and taken off of our streets,” Bloom said.
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