A Leesburg man allegedly attacked a woman in the parking lot at Lake Square Mall.
Leesburg police were dispatched to the mall Tuesday afternoon after the woman called 911 to report the attack. The woman told the officer who interviewed her that she has been in a romantic relationship with 39-year-old Chaz Horne. She said that they had been celebrating his birthday by driving around the city when Horne told her to take him to Orlando to celebrate his birthday. She refused to take him because he had previously bought narcotics in Orlando. She said he got angry and that when she called her daughter on her cell phone to de-escalate the argument, Horne struck the left side of her face and grabbed her cell phone. He proceeded to throw the cell phone to the ground, shattering the phone’s screen. He hit her in the face with his fist a second time before getting out of the car and walking away. The officer noted in his report that he could see that her makeup was smeared and that her face was beginning to swell where she indicated Horne had hit her.
When the officers made contact with Horne, he gave them a false name because he was afraid that he may have outstanding warrants. He later provided his true identityt. He admitted that he and the woman had been arguing about going to Orlando, but he claimed he did not hit her.
Horne was placed under arrest. A records check showed that Horne has two previous battery convictions. He was charged with felony domestic battery, obstructing arrest without violence for giving the false name and criminal mischief for damaging the phone. After booking at the Leesburg Police Department Horne was taken to the Lake County Jail where no bond was set on the domestic battery charge.
