A 350-pound woman was arrested after an alleged attack on a registered nurse at Lifestream Behavioral Center in Leesburg.
The nurse was working Sunday afternoon when she was approached by 34-year old Christina Arrington, according to a Leesburg Police Department arrest report. Arrington demanded that the nurse let her make a phone call. The nurse told Arrington that she would help her after she finished tending to other patients. As the nurse moved to assist another patient, Arrington smashed her fist into the nurse’s left side of her face. The officer saw red bruising and a swollen area where the nurse had been hit.
Another nurse witnessed the attack and told the officer that Arrington had been very aggressive since being lodged at the treatment center under the Baker Act. The Florida Mental Health Act, commonly known as the Baker Act, enables loved ones or others to request emergency mental health services for a person who cannot or will not request help for themselves. A records check showed that Arrington had two prior battery convictions.
The officer placed a police hold on Arrington for the battery of a health care provider and Arrington was arrested upon her release from the treatment center. She was booked into the Lake County Jail on Tuesday with bond set at $5,000 for the third degree felony charge.
