A Leesburg man was arrested on a charge of battery after allegedly striking his girlfriend’s face and hurting her shoulder when he forced her out of his car.
Deputies responded to a potential kidnapping at an undisclosed Grand Island residence around 10:14 a.m. Thursday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Prior to their arrival, deputies were advised that a man, later identified as 23-year-old Tayquan Shareef Pinellas, driving a black Mazda was seen dragging a female out of the car who had since gone missing. It was later learned that the car involved was a black Mazda 3. Additionally, deputies were informed a firearm was seen on the man who was driving the car while the woman was being removed from the vehicle, the report said.
Two deputies spotted the vehicle driving westbound bound on County Road 44 near Forest Drive while on the way to the incident location. They were able to see Pinellas wearing an orange hoodie when the Mazda passed them. As they were following the Mazda awaiting other units, it pulled into a BP gas station, located at 36002 Emeralda Avenue, the report said.
One of the deputies positioned his patrol car behind the Mazda and activated his emergency lights, conducting a high-risk traffic stop. Pinellas was ordered out of the vehicle with his hands up where he was then detained. As a deputy read him his rights, Pinellas indicated he had a firearm in the seat pocket behind the driver’s seat, the report said.
When asked what happened that day, Pinellas stated that he and his girlfriend had gotten into a verbal argument in the Bassville Park area. They then got into his car and began going toward the victim’s grandparents’ house in Grand Island. Pinellas stated that the victim got very hostile toward and volatile toward him while on the way, the report said.
The victim began throwing his personal items, including his wallet, out the window of his car on County Road 44. Once they arrived at the residence, Pinellas exited his vehicle and went to the rear passenger door where the victim was sitting and forcefully pulled her out. Pinellas indicated that while he was pulling the victim from the rear seat, he believed her shoulder became injured. He claimed that he did not hit the victim or do anything else other than pull her out of the vehicle, the report said.
While law enforcement spoke to Pinellas, a deputy located a loaded black Tarus TX .22 caliber in the pocket of the driver’s seat. A check of the cereal number revealed it was not stolen. Pinellas stated that it was instead given to him by his cousin as a gift, the report said.
Meanwhile, the victim was taken to the hospital by her friend. She was interviewed by other responding deputies and officers to whom she disclosed that she was struck on the face by her boyfriend and dragged out of the vehicle by her arm. She identified her boyfriend as “Duffy,” but when shown a picture of Pinellas, she became uncooperative and denied him being “Duffy.” However, her mother and her friend confirmed the image was of “Duffy.” Deputies also learned that the couple were in a dating relationship and had been “staying” together for a short period of time, the report said.
The victim was observed to have a swollen eye, an abrasion to her left arm and a swollen left shoulder. Her injuries were consistent with being struck and forcefully pulled from the vehicle. After deputies learned a physical altercation occurred, Pinellas was placed under arrest and escorted to the rear seat of a patrol car, the report said.
Due to Pinellas’ vehicle being left in a parking lot unattended, Kling’s Towing responded and took possession of the vehicle. An inventory of the vehicle led to the discovery of additional .22 caliber rounds in the backseat, the report said.
Pinellas was charged with domestic battery. He was transported to Lake County Jail to be held without bond.
