A Leesburg man was arrested for battery after allegedly punching his girlfriend and shoving her to the ground face first.
Deputies responded to a call of a domestic battery happening at an undisclosed Leesburg residence around 1:07 p.m. Thursday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Upon arrival, deputies met with the female victim who advised that she and her boyfriend, 27-year-old Gage Allen Carpenter, had woken up late, and she was going to take him to work. They got into an argument while on the way, at which time he struck her on the right side of her face two times with a closed fist, the report said.
The victim stopped at a gas station in Yalaha and told Carpenter to get out of the vehicle. The two continued to argue before getting back into the vehicle and continuing to Carpenter’s place of employment. As the victim drove, Carpenter grabbed the steering wheel of the truck and almost caused a collision, the report said.
After dropping off Carpenter at work, the victim returned home to calm down and relax. Carpenter came home a short time later through a ride from his mother who told the victim that she was not to get law enforcement involved. When his mother left, the victim tried to walk out of the residence to avoid another altercation with Carpenter. He ran up behind her and shoved her to the ground face first, the report said.
While on scene, the victim told deputies that Carpenter was in the residence in the back bedroom with his dog. No one else was to be in the residence. She advised that he had a rifle and a shotgun stored in the room with him, the report said.
Additional units were called to the scene due to deputies not getting a response to commands telling Carpenter they were law enforcement and to exit the residence with his hands above his head. Exhausting all their efforts, they made entry into the residence and went outside of the bedroom Carpenter was in, once again giving commands. Carpenter then came out and was immediately detained, the report said.
Carpenter ultimately waived his rights and agreed to speak with deputies. He admitted to having a verbal altercation with the victim on the way to work. When asked about the noticeable signs of injury to the victim, he advised that she punched herself in the face to cause those injuries, the report said.
Carpenter was arrested and charged with simple battery (domestic). He was transported to Lake County Jail with bond set at $1,000.