A Leesburg man was arrested after he reportedly strangled his wife with a pillow to “get her to shut up.”
Gordon John Solomon, 44, of 525 Paulling Drive, was arrested at his home at around 9:59 p.m. Tuesday, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. He was charged with domestic battery by strangulation due to his relationship with the victim and their shared children.
A witness called police earlier that night and advised that Solomon was suffocating the victim. Upon arrival at the scene, officers met with the victim and the witness in their respective bedrooms. Solomon was detained in the living room while the officers conducted their investigation, the report said.
The witness advised that the victim arrived at the home around 6 p.m. and was intoxicated. Solomon and the victim were arguing throughout the night in their bedroom. They came out into the kitchen area when the witness heard a loud noise. She came out of her room and observed the victim on the ground with Solomon yelling at her, the report said.
After seeing this, the witness went back into her bedroom. Solomon and the victim went back into their bedroom and continued to argue, the report said.
At about 9 p.m., the two were still arguing when the witness heard the sound of skin-on-skin contact and the victim yelling, “he hit me.” After hearing this, the witness went into their bedroom and saw Solomon holding a pillow over the victim’s face, the report said.
The witness asked Solomon what he was doing, to which he replied, “I’m trying to get her to shut up.” The witness yelled for Solomon to stop before running into her bedroom and contacting law enforcement, the report said.
The officer then spoke with the victim, who was visibly upset and crying. She said Solomon had struck her and argued with her throughout the night. The victim said about an hour before the police arrived, she was arguing with Solomon in the bedroom. The victim said Solomon put a pillow over her face yelling at her to “shut up.” She had to maneuver her head to the side in order to breathe, the report said.
While no fresh abrasions or injuries were visible on the victim, older bruises were visible on her chest. She said that they were from previous incidents but would not go into detail, the report said.
Solomon appeared to be intoxicated when the officer went to speak with him about the incident. He initially was not cooperative, but the officer continued to ask questions anyway, according to the report.
Solomon then said the victim went to the beach with a friend and came home about 6 p.m. He said she was intoxicated and belligerent while she yelled at him throughout the night. He denied ever being physical with her, saying he just went to bed, the report said.
As a result of the witness and victim’s statements, Solomon was arrested and taken to the Lake County Jail after completing the booking process. His bond was set at $5,000.
