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Friday, March 29, 2024

Shed-dwelling man jailed after battle with woman he claims stole his ‘dope’

Brent Allen Mutzfeld

A man who tangled with a woman in the Ocala National Forest and claimed she stole his “dope” found himself behind bars on Sunday.

A Marion County sheriff’s deputy was called to the 14100 block of E Hwy. 40 for a suspicious incident and when he arrived, he spoke with a woman standing on the side of the road in front of the Ocklawaha Bridge Baptist Church. The woman, who had a swollen lip and was bruised, claimed that she had been battered by 47-year-old Brent Allen Mutzfeld, a sheriff’s office report states.

The woman told the sheriff’s deputy that she and Mutzfeld went to the forest together to see “cool things.” She said he became angry when he was standing outside their vehicle and she threw a can out from the driver’s seat. She claimed he punched her in the mouth and she fell to the ground after she got out of the vehicle to ask him what was wrong, the report says.

The woman claimed that Mutzfeld got on top of her and held her down by putting one hand around her throat. She said he “slightly squeezed” her throat but she was still able to breath, the report says.

The woman eventually kicked Mutzfeld off of her and attempted to get to their vehicle and drive away. But she said he beat her to the vehicle and grabbed the keys, so she ran into woods to get away from him.

Mutzfeld searched for the woman but eventually got in the vehicle and left. She then realized she was lost and spent the night in the woods before making her way to E Hwy. 40 and meeting up with a passerby who called 911, the report says.

Deputies responded to Mutzfeld’s address – the city he lives in was redacted from the report – and found him living in a shed on the property. He said he and the victim were arguing because she was using a needle to inject drugs, the report says.

Mutzfeld claimed the woman punched him so he “took her the ground” to get her to stop hitting him. He added that he and the victim got back into the vehicle after the altercation and drove to another location in the woods, where she stole his “dope” and walked away, the report says.

Mutzfeld was taken into custody and transported to the Marion County Jail, where he was charged with domestic battery. He was being held on $2,000 bond and is due in court on Oct. 22 at 8:30 a.m. to answer to the charge.