A 30-year-old Ocklawaha man was arrested last Monday, nearly a week after he allegedly battered a disabled man who prevented him from watching TV.
Anthony Thomas Varnum was charged with abuse of an elderly or disabled adult without great harm after the incident, which happened Sept. 26 at his residence on SE 62nd Place.
The victim told a Marion County sheriff’s deputy that Varnum became agitated over something with the television in the living room, prompting the victim to get off the couch and unplug the TV. When he did, Varnum became irate and began punching him in the head and face, knocking him into a computer desk and ultimately to the ground, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The deputy observed the computer monitor in the ground and the desk partially knocked over. He also observed the victim had a knot and redness on the left side of his face and another red mark under his right eye, which were consistent with his statements. The victim’s wife, who was an eyewitness to the incident, confirmed the victim’s story. She said Varnum has fits from time to time but is never this aggressive, the report said.
The victim is deemed disabled due to chronic back and respiratory problems. He uses a scooter for mobility and needs several breathing treatments a day to perform his daily functions. The victim was checked by Marion County EMS and was determined to be stable with superficial injuries. He refused to go to the hospital for treatment, according to the report.
Varnum had left the scene by the time the deputy arrived. He was arrested Monday and taken to the Marion County Jail, where he’s being held on $2,000 bond. Varnum will appear in Marion County Court on Nov. 5.