A Fruitland Park man who works for the City of Leesburg was arrested for allegedly grabbing his wife by the neck during an argument.
An officer was dispatched to an undisclosed private residence regarding a domestic battery that just happened Saturday night, according to an arrest report from the Fruitland Park Police Department.
Upon arrival, the officer met with the female victim who advised that she and her husband, 58-year-old Michael Steve Warren, began arguing while going out in their black 2022 Ford SUV to eat dinner. He started to call her names, at which time he became upset and grabbed her by the neck. This caused a minor laceration to the left side of her neck, the report said.
The victim was able to get Warren’s hand away from her neck and turned around to go back to their home. When asked if her airway was impeded or obstructed, she was unable to clarify if it was due to her already having issues breathing from lung surgery or if it was because of Warren, the report said.
Continuing, Warren then grabbed the victim by the left arm, causing another small laceration. He also caused bruising and swelling to the back of her hand when he grabbed it, the report said.
The victim told Warren she was going to contact law enforcement once they got home. He told her, “Do what you want because I am going to tell them I was out at work all day.” They continued to argue until they got home, after which Warren got into his work truck and drove away in an unknown direction, the report said.
The officer asked the victim if she had any type of tracking or GPS apps on her phone that they share, and she logged into an app to show Warren’s current location. This information was relayed to the LPD and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in an attempt to find Warren. Indeed, the LCSO found him at Crofton Drive and Crystal Breeze Lane in Leesburg using the information, the report said.
Several officers responded to the location to find Warren handcuffed in the back of a deputy’s vehicle. One of the officers had him get out, at which time Warren stated he got into an argument with the victim. He advised they had been having a lot of marriage problems for some time now. Once they got back to their residence, he got out of their car and got into his work truck to get away, the report said.
When asked if he grabbed the victim by the neck, Warran replied no. He was also asked how she got her injuries, but he said he did not know and that she must have done it herself because he never touched her. He then advised that if he was going to jail, he would like to press charges on her for slapping him on the right side of his face. There were no marks or evidence that he was struck, the report said.
Warren was ultimately arrested and charged with battery (domestic). The Georgia native, who works in stormwater management for the City of Leesburg, was transported to the Lake County Jail and released after posting $5,000 bond.