Man allegedly strangles girlfriend of seven years when confronted about cheating

A Fruitland Park man was arrested for allegedly strangling and battering his girlfriend of seven years when she confronted him about being unfaithful.

A deputy responded to an abandoned 911 call at an undisclosed Fruitland Park residence around 9 a.m. Sunday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. 

Upon arrival, the deputy had to knock several times. At one point, someone looked out of the window. It took several minutes for a man, later identified as 32-year-old Brain David Crosby, to answer the door, the report said. 

Crosby advised that he was unaware of anyone dialing 911, but he and his girlfriend had gotten into an argument. When the deputy asked to speak to the victim, Crosby appeared nervous. Still, Crosby escorted the victim out of the residence while she was distraught and crying, the report said. 

The victim appeared to be nervous and began to shake her head no, pointing at Crosby. The deputy separated the two parties and began to interview the victim. She advised that she and Crosby lived as a family and had been together for the past seven years, the report said. 

The victim further explained that she had been drinking due to Crosby not coming home after work Sunday night. She confronted him about not being faithful to her, at which point he began to punch and kick the victim in the face and body. At one point, he grabbed her throat with one hand and restricted her breathing. She also stated that Crosby had been arrested previously for battery by strangulation but was unsure of the year, the report said. 

After interviewing the victim, the deputy began speaking to Crosby. He advised that he came home from work Saturday night. He bought a beer from the local convenience store and brought it back to the residence where he and the victim watched TV, the report said. 

When asked how the victim had gotten her injuries, Crosby at first refused to say. He then advised that he had gotten them from tripping over something in the house due to her drinking. He changed his story multiple times, and at no point did his story match the injuries the victim received, the report said. 

Crosby was ultimately handcuffed and escorted to a patrol vehicle. A criminal history check confirmed that he had a previous domestic battery charge with a final action of adjudication withheld from 2021, the report said. 

Crosby was charged with commit domestic battery by strangulation and transported to Lake County Jail. Bond was set at $2,000.