Leesburg man accused of biting girfriend in second attack within four months

A Leesburg man was arrested on battery charges for allegedly choking and biting his girlfriend for the second time in four months.

Officers were dispatched to a disturbance between a man, later identified as 50-year-old Edward Demetrice Nelson, and a woman at an undisclosed Leesburg residence around 12:54 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. The complainant advised that a male threatened her and took off walking across the street. 

Upon arrival, the officers met with the complainant who explained the male got into a physical altercation with another female inside the home, causing her to get a busted lip, and left the area. They all lived together and did so for a while, the report said. 

The officers next spoke to the victim who stated she was in a physical altercation with her boyfriend of one year, Nelson. She was inside sleeping when he returned home and immediately started arguing with her. He began striking her in the face and used his hands to strangle her, depriving her of air and causing her to choke, the report said. 

Nelson used his teeth to bite the victim on the inside of her right breast and would not allow her to leave the bedroom. She struck him back in self-defense by clawing at him and scratching his neck. She tried multiple times to call 911 from her personal cellphone, but he grabbed it and would not allow her to leave the bedroom to use another resident’s phone, the report said. 

The victim had a fresh laceration to the inside of her upper lip and teeth marks on her right breast. She advised this was not their first battery with each other, and Nelson was recently arrested for the same thing. A criminal history check revealed Nelson was indeed arrested by the LPD on June 16 for multiple charges involving the victim and had at least one prior battery conviction. A further search showed he was on felony probation through Lake County, the report said. 

As an officer left the scene, he spotted Nelson walking straight toward the residence where contact was made. The officer noticed a fresh large laceration to the left side of his neck. Another officer arrived on scene as a backup unit, and Nelson was detained and searched following his arrest, the report said. 

Nelson was subsequently charged with battery by strangulation (domestic), simple battery (domestic – one prior conviction) and tamper (victim/witness). The North Carolina native was transported to Lake County Jail to be held without bond.