A 23-year-old Ocala man was arrested Sunday after he allegedly strangled another man during a domestic dispute over an unpaid bar bill.
The victim came to the Marion County Sheriff’s South West District Office and told a deputy that he had been strangled by Patrick Henry Mathieu. The victim said Mathieu came home and argued with him because the victim did not pay for his bill at a bar, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The victim said he was in his garage when Mathieu threw him to the ground and choked him with his arm from behind until he couldn’t breathe. He said he begged Mathieu to stop and was in fear he was going to die. The victim said he was able to get free and leave the residence, the report said.
The deputy observed the victim was bleeding from two scrapes on his right arm, a scrape on his left knee, and bruising on his right ear, nose and the left side of his neck, according to the report.
The victim talked with Mathieu and told him to meet him at the Walmart at 9570 SW S.R. 200 so he could bring him his dog. While they were speaking on the phone, which was on speakerphone, the deputy heard Mathieu say he never intended to hurt the victim and that he only wanted control, the report said.
Another deputy met Mathieu at the store and placed him under arrest for domestic battery by strangulation. After being read his Miranda rights, Mathieu chose not to speak about the incident, according to the report.
Mathieu is being held without bond in the Marion County Jail. He’s scheduled to appear in Marion County Court on Jan. 7.