A Leesburg man was arrested on assault and weapon charges after allegedly punching his girlfriend and pointing a gun at her during an argument.
Officers responded to a battery complaint at an undisclosed Leesburg apartment around 11:13 a.m. Feb. 17, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
Upon arrival, one of the officers spoke with the female victim who advised her live-in boyfriend, 27-year-old Tremayne Xavier Thomas, struck her and pointed a black firearm at her face. She stated that he also threatened to shoot her, the report said.
After confirming there were charges against Thomas, the officer canvassed the area on foot. He found Thomas near the dumpsters in the apartment complex, and he was told to come forward. He instead fled the scene once he caught sight of law enforcement. The officer pursued Thomas on foot, eventually stopping and detaining him in front of the building where the incident took place, the report said.
The officer then interviewed the victim further, and she stated that she had been in a romantic relationship with Thomas for six months and had been living with him since Nov. 2013. She got into a verbal argument with Thomas about their relationship. During this spat, he slapped her twice and punched her three times, the report said.
The victim advised that she bled from her nose as a result, providing a photo of herself with blood on her face and body as proof. She was also wearing a red wig that Thomas pulled off her head. Before calling the police, the victim stated she cleaned her face and most of the blood away, although the officer observed blood on her chest and clothing that matched the photograph, the report said.
Additionally, the victim confirmed that Thomas pointed a black compact semi-automatic firearm in her face. She described its resemblance to a firearm but noted it was smaller in size, the report said.
Officers proceeded to search the path of the area in which Thomas ran and found a black 9mm Taurus GX4 compact handgun as described by the victim. There were 10 gold and copper colored 9mm Luger rounds of ammunition with the firearm. Officers did not lose sight of Thomas for more than several seconds, the report said.
Thomas was later taken to UF Health, located at 600 E. Dixie Avenue, and medically treated. While there, he advised that he got into a verbal and physical argument with the victim in which they both struck each other. However, he denied having a firearm because he is a felon and not allowed to have one. He stated his mother had a gun but not him, the report said.
After being treated at the hospital, Thomas was transported to LPD for the booking process. The officer showed him a picture of the firearm, and he advised that he knew the gun belonged to his mother. He explained that he told his brother to get any guns outside of the residence, the report said.
Thomas advised the gun was not on him, and he did not threaten the victim, stating, “I made sure all the weapons was gone because of her, to be honest.” He also told law enforcement to tell his mother that they found the gun his brother was supposed to take out of the house, the report said.
A criminal history check revealed Thomas had two prior convictions for battery from May 2015 and May 2022, the report said.
Thomas was ultimately charged with aggravated assault with intent to commit felony (domestic), simple battery (one prior conviction – domestic), two count of weapon (possession firearm/ammo by convicted felon) and resisting (obstructing without violence). He was taken to the Lake County Jail with bond set at $23,000.
