A Leesburg man was arrested for battery after allegedly nearly strangling a woman with her daughter in the house.
Police responded to a battery at an undisclosed Leesburg residence around 10 p.m. Monday, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. The female complainant stated that she locked herself inside her bedroom after she saw her mother, the victim, being struck by 38-year-old Joshua Christopher West.
Upon the officer’s arrival, he met the victim at the front door of the residence, but West had already left the area on foot. She explained that they were in a verbal dispute because he was accusing her of something. The argument escalated, and West tried to grab the purse she was holding, the report said.
The victim attempted to pull away from West, but he continued pulling on her purse. The complainant then entered the room and told them she was calling law enforcement. West left the residence to avoid interacting with police, the report said.
During this interview, the victim was difficult to speak with and would not provide a clear account of the incident. She stated the only physical altercation was when they wrestled over possession of the purse. However, the officer noticed dark red marks on both sides of her neck and a small laceration on the left side of her neck. She stated that these came from West’s long fingernails, but he did not physically strike her, the report said.
The complainant advised that she heard West and the victim arguing, during which she heard the victim tell West to “get off her” and to not put his hands on her. She entered the room and saw West on top of the victim with both hands around her neck. She then left the room to call law enforcement, the report said.
Because of this account, the officer spoke with the victim a second time, the report said. She admitted that West placed his hands around her neck during the altercation but held that he did not restrict her breathing.
Officers proceeded to canvas the surrounding area for West. He was found at a nearby business west of the incident location. He was detained in handcuffs while the officer spoke with him. West stated he was upset with the victim, but the dispute was verbal not physical. He became irate with officers, refused to speak about the incident and refused to write a statement, the report said.
West was ultimately charged with simple battery (domestic). He was transported to the Lake County Jail with bond set at $1,000.
He was also arrested on Aug. 21 for allegedly shoving his mother into a wall.
