A Leesburg man was arrested for battery after allegedly kicking a coworker during an argument over money.
An employee of Southeast Modular Manufacturing, located at 2500 Industrial St., spoke to an officer on Monday evening about a battery involving a coworker, whom he identified as 51-year-old Jorge Alberto Flores Herrera, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
He advised that on the morning of Friday, May 1, he was in the breakroom when he got into an argument with Flores Herrera about money owed to him. During this verbal dispute, Flores Herrera kicked the back of his left knee with enough force to buckle him. He then picked up a metal PVC pipe cutter and tried to swing it at him, the report said.
A witness separated the two, and the employee ran away from Flores Herrera. He feared for his life and his safety. He added that Flores Herrera had been involved in other incidents involving coworkers in the past. He also gave law enforcement the names and phone numbers of three more people who had been in the room during the altercation, the report said.
So, an officer traveled to the construction company on Tuesday to speak with these three individuals. The first stated he was in the breakroom eating lunch when he heard a verbal argument. He did not see any physical altercation or strikes made, the report said.
The second corroborated the employee’s statement, identifying the same knee that Flores Herrera kicked. However, he did not see the pipe cutter. The third witness then broke up the argument, and the employee left, the report said.
The third also saw the kick but did not know if Flores Herrera made contact with the employee. He also saw Flores Herrera retrieve the pipe cutter a few minutes after the kicking motion, yet he did not see him swing it. Flores Herrera and the employee were three to four feet apart before he interrupted, the report said.
Finally, the officer interviewed Flores Herrera, who stated the verbal argument was over money that had already been paid. He did not kick the employee but rather shoved him with both arms after he insulted his mother. He denied using a pipe cutter, either, the report said.
Flores Herrera was arrested on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and simple battery. The native of Colombia was booked at the Lake County Jail with bond set at $6,000.