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Friday, March 29, 2024

Belleview woman charged with strangling man in spat over another man

Leslie Christina Brecht

A Belleview woman with two prior domestic battery arrests was arrested and charged with strangling a man who didn’t like her hanging out with another man.

Leslie Christina Brecht, 29, was charged with domestic battery by strangulation after the incident, which happened Monday. She was previously arrested on two counts of domestic battery in May 2018 and a single count of domestic battery in January 2019, according to Marion County Jail records.

The victim told a Marion County sheriff’s deputy that he and Brecht got into an argument at around midnight over her leaving the residence and hanging out with an unknown male friend. He said she scratched him and grabbed his throat, causing his breathing to be affected. The victim said Brecht him several times in the groin area but didn’t harm or injure him due to his pants sitting below his waist. He said he pushed Brecht against a wall and slapped her to get her to stop striking him, according to the sheriff’s office report.

The victim said after the initial argument and physical altercation, Brecht left the residence again with the same male friend and came back at around 8 a.m. where the argument continued and again became physical, with her scratching his neck and ear. The deputy observed several red scratch marks around the front side of the victim’s neck and on his right ear, consistent with his statement, the report said.

Brecht told the deputy she got into an argument with the victim at around midnight over her hanging out with the other man. She said the victim kicked her in the stomach several times knowing she is approximately 11 weeks pregnant. She said the victim also struck her and scratched her, according to the report.

Brecht said she returned to the residence at around 9 a.m. and the victim became upset with her again for hanging out with the other man.  She said during the ensuing argument, the victim kicked her in the stomach again and held her up against the wall. The deputy didn’t see any bruising or marks on Brecht’s stomach consistent with being kicked several times by the victim, the report said.

A man who said he was present during the midnight argument said he saw Brecht attack the victim by grabbing and scratching his neck, kicking him in the groin several times and punching him in the face several times. The witness said he saw the victim push Brecht off and grab her shirt to get her to stop striking him, according to the report.

Brecht was taken to the Marion County Jail, where she was being held Thursday on $3,000 bond. She’s scheduled to appear in Marion County Court on March 17.