A Leesburg woman was arrested for allegedly biting the ear of her mentally disabled brother and the finger of a tenant who defended him.
An officer responded to a disturbance and possible battery wherein 56-year-old Maria Luisa Quinones was causing a disturbance with her roommate and tenant, the complainant, at an undisclosed Lake County residence around 9:40 p.m. Monday, June 24, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. Prior to the officer’s arrival, the Leesburg Communications Center advised Quinones had bitten the complainant’s finger.
Once at the scene, the officer met with the complainant outside the residence in the garage. She was crying and visibly distraught over the situation as the officer interacted with her, the report said.
During an interview, the complainant stated Quinones was heavily intoxicated and started verbally abusing her own brother, the victim, who also lived in the home. The victim, described as mentally disabled, was not always able to think for or defend himself, so the complainant intervened because Quinones was getting agitated and aggressive toward him, the report said.
The complainant pointed her right index finger at Quinones during the argument, and she responded by biting it. The complainant stated she did not wish to press charges, refused medical treatment and confirmed that they were not related domestically. She explained she was a tenant of the residence, which was owned by Quinones who also lived there, the report said.
The officer next spoke with Quinones who stated she was frustrated with the victim and was trying to persuade him to move out of the residence. During this interview, the officer could detect the odor of alcoholic beverage coming from her breath and observed her eyes to be bloodshot and watery. She slurred her speech as she spoke and had difficulty forming thoughts into complete sentences, the report said.
Quinones ranted on about moving her brother, the victim, out of the home. When asked about the incident with the complainant, she stated she was arguing over issues with her brother and that she “bit the finger that was in her face,” the report said.
Meanwhile, another officer arrived on scene and assisted with the investigation. He brought to the other officer’s attention that he had begun an interview with the victim to inquire if he had witnessed the incident. The victim stated that Quinones had bitten his left wrist near his hand and his left ear, the report said.
The officer then began interviewing the victim. He explained that Quinones had been causing a disturbance with him and the complainant throughout the evening, and at one point at a time he could not recall, he was watching television when Quinones came into his room and bit his wrist and ear. He did not do anything to provoke this attack, nor did the complainant act in any manner which would have provoked Quinones to cause the disturbance, the report said.
The officer observed visible teeth marks on the victim’s left wrist. Both the top and bottom rows of teeth left impressions on his skin without breaking it. He showed signs of skin irritation and redness around his left ear. Six photos were later taken of these injuries, the report said.
The victim confirmed he and Quinones were siblings related by blood and resided together as family. He was able to describe the incident but could not remember what she said while she bit him or much of what the disturbance was about. Although unable to provide a written account, he gave a verbal statement, the report said.
Following the interview with the victim, the officer contacted the complainant again to ask if she had seen the incident involving the victim. She advised that she did not see the actual incident because it happened in the victim’s bedroom while she remained in the living room. She only saw Quinones go in and out of his room repeatedly throughout the disturbance, the report said.
The complainant elaborated that the victim lacked the capability to live without assistance in everyday needs and activities, and Quinones was his caregiver. However, she was forcing the victim to pack a suitcase to “take him to the police station” because she did not want to take care of him anymore, the report said.
The complainant also heard Quinones state that she “hates” the victim, verbally abusing him throughout the entirety of the argument. Quinones frequently got intoxicated and became verbally abusive with her and the victim when she did so. The complainant again confirmed she did not wish to prosecute for her altercation but wanted to express her concern for the safety of herself and the victim, the report said.
After interviewing the complainant regarding her account of the incident with the victim, the officer interviewed Quinones once again to ask about her side of the incident. She stated that she was frustrated with her brother and wanted him to move out of the residence. She denied biting him. She then became hysterical and emotional but did not give any more of her account of the incident, the report said.
Another officer confirmed the incident with the victim who verbally swore to and affirmed his statements, which were captured on the officer’s body-worn camera. Quinones was subsequently arrested and placed into handcuffs which were then double locked, the report said.
After being placed in the back seat of a patrol car, the officer transported Quinones to the LPD’s adult booking facility to complete the booking procedures. Another officer remained at the scene to complete interviews with the complainant and the victim, the report said.
During this officer’s interviews, he advised that the victim did not understand what “prosecution” meant. However, he stated Quinones had been physically abusive toward him in the past, and he wanted “it to stop.” He had been too afraid of her in the past and therefore never reported the incidents, the report said.
The complainant stated that she witnessed arguments between the victim and Quinones on a regular basis. She did not report those incidents or any past verbal altercations she had with Quinones because she was also afraid for her safety around Quinones’ frequent intoxication and capacity to resort to verbal and physical abuse, the report said.
While at the adult booking facility, Quinones spontaneously uttered that she no longer wanted to take care of the victim, and it was his fault she was arrested. She also made several demeaning remarks regarding the victim and his mental disability. She stated that the complainant must have bitten the victim on his ear to get her in trouble, the report said.
Soon after that comment, Quinones admitted to biting the victim but stated he started the altercation by hitting her on her legs. She proceeded to show the officer small bruises all over her legs that were not consistent with the incident’s time frame or the way she described getting them. She could not detail what happened to cause the incident or elaborate on how the victim was able to strike her, the report said.
The native of Puerto Rico was subsequently arrested on charge of elderly (disabled adult abuse without great harm). She was transported to Lake County Jail with bond set at $10,000.