A Leesburg man was arrested for battery after allegedly punching in the mother of his child in a dispute over food from McDonald’s.
An officer was dispatched to a battery at an undisclosed Lake County residence at 3:43 p.m. Sunday, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
Upon arrival, the officer met with the female victim. She advised that she got home from school to see 30-year-old Jesus David Estrada in their shared bedroom giving McDonald’s food to their child. She became upset, as she believed her child needed home-cooked food rather than fast food, and threw the McDonald’s food away, the report said.
Estrada became angry, punched the victim in the stomach and told her, “Today you are leaving.” He then cornered her and spat in her face. During the confrontation, she fell to the ground and got back up. He pushed her out into the living room, the report said.
Once there, Estrada locked the bedroom door, leaving the victim outside. She tried to retrieve her child but was confronted by Estrada who grabbed her in an attempt to take the child back. The victim bit him in self-defense to escape his hold. He released her, and she called law enforcement to report the incident, the report said.
Estrada’s statements largely coincided with the victim’s account of events. He claimed she initiated the altercation, and he never struck or touched her. He stated he was merely trying to create space between them, and he was the one who called law enforcement to report the incident, the report said.
After receiving both the victim and Estrada’s statements, law enforcement moved on to collecting statements from two witnesses that were present at the time of the altercation. They were both roommates to the involved parties, the report said.
The first witness, who was in the living room at the time, stated she heard screaming and cussing coming from the back of the house. She went to investigate and saw Estrada and the victim arguing. The victim threw the food toward Estrada, at which point he became aggressive and punched her in the stomach. The two continued to push each other, and the witness retreated to the living room and out of the house, the report said.
The second witness was taking a nap in the living room when she was awakened by a loud bang. Upon looking through the opening of the bedroom door where the altercation was happening, she saw Estrada push the victim out of the bedroom. The victim fell off the couch, hitting her head on a suitcase next to it. Estrada continued to approach the victim as she fell, and the victim got up and left the residence, the report said.
The victim presented red markings on her stomach, indicative of being struck. She also had markings on her right knee consistent with falling. Estrada had a bite mark on his left arm and fingernail markings on his back, indicative of the clash between them, the report said.
Estrada was subsequently arrested on charge of simple battery (domestic). The Michigan native was transported to Lake County Jail and released after posting $1,500 bond.