A 19-year-old Ocala man was finally caught two weeks after he allegedly kneed his girlfriend in the face.
Shedrick Ranard Welch was arrested Dec. 17 and charged with simple domestic battery in connection with the incident, which happened Dec. 2 at the Sutton Place Apartments, 520 NE 23rd Circle. He and the victim have been together for about two years, have a child in common, and live together as a family.
A witness who called 911 told an Ocala Police officer that Welch and the victim were arguing and pushing each other around in the hallway when Welch pushed the victim against the wall. The witness said the couple went into the bedroom, and she heard Welch punch the victim in the mouth, according to the OPD report.
The victim said she and Welch were arguing, which led him to start packing his belongings to leave the residence. She said she tried to help Welch, but he snatched the clothes basket from her hands. The victim said Welch went to walk past her and intentionally bumped her with his chest, the report said.
The victim said she and Welch started grabbing each other and went into the bedroom, where Welch pushed her to the ground. She said when she got up, she punched Welch. She said she wasn’t sure where she punched him but thinks it was his face. The victim said she turned around to fix the curtains, then turned back around to grab a basket before Welch used his left knee to strike her in the face, according to the report.
The officer observed several items of clothing and personal belongings in the hallways, kitchen, and living room. The victim had a laceration on the inside her lip and complained of pain to her jaw but refused medical treatment, the report said.
Welch fled the scene before the officer arrived and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was arrested Dec. 17 and released from the Marion County Jail the next day on $750 bond. in Marion County Court on Jan. 29.