A convicted sex offender was arrested after allegedly attacking a woman and choking her daughter outside of a Leesburg business.
A 911 call from a witness to the attack on Tuesday afternoon alerted Lake County sheriff’s deputies that 29-year-old Demetrius Tyrell Eldridge had attacked the woman and her child outside his work place, Dura-Stress Inc., on County Road 44 in Leesburg. The witness told the deputies that he had seen Eldridge in an argument with the woman who was in her car. The witness screamed “let her go” and “get out, get away.” Eldridge then approached the witness, a co-worker, and told him that he and the woman had been in an argument. As Eldridge walked away, the witness screamed ”give me back my phone.” The witness told the woman to follow him to the nearby Circle K where he would call law enforcement for her.
When the victim met with deputies she told then that she had been in a romantic relationship with Eldridge and had gone to his place of employment to give him some snacks during his break. An argument arose and Eldridge struck her 10 times on the right side of her face and then bit her face. He told the woman he was going to kill her and her daughter, who he grabbed by her neck.
The deputies contacted EMS who told the woman she might have a fractured jaw, according to the arrest report.
Deputies were directed by Eldridge’s sister to a home in Lady Lake where he was staying.
Eldridge was taken to the Lake County Jail where he was charged with aggravated battery and child abuse. His bond was set at $20,000.
Eldridge was convicted of rape in Allen, Ind. in 2013.
