A Leesburg man was arrested on a warrant for battery after he allegedly tripped his girlfriend and punched her multiple times during a domestic dispute.
On June 26, officers with the Leesburg Police Department responded to an undisclosed Lake County residence to meet with a female victim and a male complainant, according to an affidavit of probable cause out of Lake County.
The victim advised that she came home from work and got into a verbal dispute with her boyfriend, 47-year-old Michael Arlan Dye. They had been in a romantic relationship for the last 11 years and lived in the same residence for more than 30 days, the affidavit said.
During the dispute, the victim felt fear and started to gather her belongings to leave. Dye proceeded to trip her with his foot which caused the victim to fall to the ground. She turned around and tried to defend herself, and he struck her in the head three to four times with a closed fist, the affidavit said.
The victim screamed for help, yelling, “Someone call the cops.” Dye then stopped attacking her and left in a white Chevrolet truck. She did not know the license plate number to the vehicle, and there were no vehicles registered to him at the time, the affidavit said.
While speaking with the victim, officers observed redness on her scalp area where she said she was struck by Dye. They also saw a red mark near her forehead and a “lump” near her scalp area where the redness was seen. Officers were able to confirm that her visible injuries corroborated with what she advised, the affidavit said.
The officer next spoke with the complainant. He advised that he heard noises coming from inside the residence. He then saw Dye leave the area in a white Chevrolet truck and observed the victim on the ground crying. The complainant stated he did not see what actually happened and refused to complete a sworn written statement, the affidavit said.
The officers canvassed the area and last known addresses for Dye but were met with negative findings. A check of his criminal history revealed an extensive record which included six prior battery convictions from July 1997, June 1998, April 1999, Oct. 1999, Jan. 2000 and March 2003, the affidavit said.
Dye was ultimately arrested Tuesday morning by the LPD on a warrant charging him with battery (one prior conviction – domestic). He was transported to Lake County Jail with bond set at $5,000.