A 24-year-old Paisley woman and 18-year-old Jacksonville man were arrested Tuesday after they allegedly beat up a man at a Eustis motel.
Samantha Arlene Boese and Dodge Michael Niethe were each charged with simple battery after the incident, which happened around 10:30 a.m. at the Colonial Inn. Eustis police officers arrived at the motel, located at 1000 Bay St., and found a black male victim with blood dripping from his head and a white male and female standing next to Room 15, according to the police report.
The victim said he loaned the white male – later identified as Niethe – money to buy a cigar earlier in the day and returned later to get it back. He said when he asked Niethe for the money, the female – later identified as Boese – became argumentative and struck him in the face, pushed him to the ground and continued punching him with a closed fist, the report said.
The victim said he was able to get away and run to the front office, where he asked an employee to call the police. He said when he went back outside, Niethe and Boese both struck him with closed fists, according to the report.
Officers spoke with both suspects. Niethe said he asked the victim for money and was going to give it back, but Boese started arguing with the victim. Niethe said Boese pushed the victim to the ground in self-defense. Boese confirmed Niethe’s story, adding that the victim was drinking and acting obnoxious at the motel the previous night, the report said.
The front-desk employee said he saw the second altercation. He said the victim came into the office and asked him to call the police. The employee said he followed the victim out of the office and saw Niethe and Boese hit him with closed fists in front of the soda machine, according to the report.
The incident was captured on security cameras, and the footage confirmed the victim’s account. Boese and Niethe were placed under arrest and taken to the Lake County Jail. While on the way to the jail, Boese spontaneously said she doesn’t want a grown man to hit her and would hit him first, the report said.
Boese and Niethe each posted $1,000 bond and will appear in Lake County Court on Oct. 18.
