A Leesburg man was arrested for allegedly hitting his girlfriend during an argument over the state of their relationship and his hoarding tendencies.
An officer responded to an undisclosed Leesburg address regarding a 911 call reporting that a male and female were arguing, and the male struck the female around 1:28 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. The complainant provided a description of the male, later identified as 55-year-old Jeffrey Landsberger, and advised that he was leaving in a camouflage-painted golf cart.
Upon arrival, the officer knocked on the door to the residence and was invited inside by the victim’s father. He pointed the officer in the direction of the victim and Landsberger’s room. The officer then knocked on the bedroom door, after which the victim answered and provided a written and verbal sworn statement about the incident, the report said.
The victim said her live-in boyfriend of more than three years, Landsberger, got angry when she explained to him that their relationship was not going very well. She told him that he was a hoarder and needed to clean up because her father was at risk of tripping over the clutter, the report said.
Landsberger began calling the victim derogatory names while walking toward a camouflage-painted golf cart. He sat in the driver’s seat, continuing to berate her. She did not want him to leave, so she approached the golf cart on the driver’s side and reached to grab the keys out of the ignition, the report said.
As the victim did this, Landsberger struck her with a closed fist near her right eye and temple. She backed away from him, and he called her a few more derogatory names before driving away in the golf cart. She sustained visible swelling and bruising to the right side of her eye, which was consistent with being struck with a closed fist, the report said.
The officer, along with assisting officers, was able to speak to several witnesses to include the complainant. He stated he heard the victim and Landsberger arguing for about two hours prior to the victim being battered. The arguing stopped and started again, and when he looked toward their residence, he saw Landsberger knock an object out of the victim’s hand, the report said.
The complainant then observed Landsberger grab the victim’s hair and her head before abruptly moving to the left while his right arm came down. He drove away in the golf cart but returned a few moments later to threaten the victim. He drove away again and did not return, the report said.
The next individual the officers spoke to was a witness who stated Landsberger was operating the golf cart and trying to back up. The victim was on the passenger side, and he swung at her. He then backed the golf cart out of the lawn and drove away. The witness was unable to see if Landsberger made contact with the victim when he swung at her, the report said.
A second witness advised that he was sitting under his carport when he heard the victim and Landsberger arguing. He heard Landsberger call her numerous derogatory names while sitting in the golf cart in the driver’s seat. The witness observed the victim reach for the keys in the ignition, and Landsberger struck her with a closed fist near her right eye. He then drove the golf cart away from the incident location, the report said.
Assisting officers checked the surrounding area in search of Landsberger without success. However, the camouflage-painted golf cart was found at his cousin’s residence partially hidden in a heavily wooded area, the report said.
Due to this altercation being domestic in nature and not being able to find Landsberger, the officer completed a probable cause affidavit, the report said.
Landsberger was ultimately arrested Monday morning on a charge of simple battery (domestic). He was transported to Lake County Jail with bond set at $1,000.