A Leesburg man was arrested for battery when calls about a screaming female turned out to be his girlfriend whose arm he allegedly grabbed.
A deputy responded to a battery in progress at an undisclosed Lake County residence around 7:09 p.m. Thursday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. While en route, dispatch received more calls about hearing a female screaming at the top of her lungs as if she was in pain. She could be heard screaming, “Let me go,” the report said.
Upon arrival, the deputy met with 21-year-old Dejuan Jay Ayre who stated he and his girlfriend had gotten into an argument over text messages. They were on the way to the store when the argument happened. He also said the altercation was all verbal and that he did not touch her, but he then said he grabbed her arm to keep her from leaving, the report said.
Ayre stated he did not wish to speak and insisted that nothing physically happened between the two of them. He did not want to complete a sworn affidavit explaining what occurred, the report said.
The deputy next spoke to Ayre’s girlfriend who advised that the couple had gotten into an argument, and she tried to run away from him when he grabbed her by the arm. She had an injury to her collarbone, but it was not related. She also stated the two of them had been in a physical relationship for about 6-12 months but did not live together. She also did not wish to provide a sworn affidavit, nor did she want to prosecute for the battery, the report said.
Deputies met with multiple neighbors who heard the altercation and could hear them running through the woods, not in the direction of the Dollar General, the report said.
Ayre was determined to be the primary aggressor and arrested on charge of simple battery (domestic). He was transported to Lake County Jail and released after posting $500 bond.