A Leesburg man has been arrested after another alleged attack on his girlfriend.
Valentino Lamont McMullen faces charges of domestic battery by strangulation following the incident on June 3.
According to police reports, officers responded to an undisclosed Leesburg residence at approximately 6:53 a.m. Upon arrival, responding officers encountered a barefoot woman wearing a multi-colored dress who was yelling toward a wooded area. Police identified her as the victim.
The victim told officers that she and McMullen, her boyfriend, had been engaged in an argument. When she mentioned calling law enforcement, McMullen allegedly told her words to the effect of, “I’m going to make it worth it.”
According to the affidavit, McMullen then struck the victim on her jaw with a closed fist and proceeded to choke her with his hands, compressing her neck to the point where she struggled to breathe. McMullen then fled the scene, running northbound through the wooded area adjacent to their shared residence.
While responding officers noted that the victim’s dress appeared stretched at the neckline—consistent with a physical struggle—they did not observe any visible bruising or discoloration from the alleged battery.
Police detailed a significant lack of cooperation from the victim during the investigation. The report states that she refused medical attention and explicitly declined to provide a sworn written statement or allow officers to take photos of her. Furthermore, a standard lethality assessment could not be completed because of her unwillingness to cooperate. Officers noted that she repeatedly stated she “had things to do and needed to leave.”
Based on the physical evidence and the victim’s initial statements at the scene, police completed the probable cause affidavit charging McMullen with domestic battery by strangulation.
He had also been arrested in April after an alleged attack on his girlfriend.
McMullen was booked at the Lake County Jail on $5,000 bond.