An Ocala man was charged with domestic battery for the second time in less than a year after an argument with a woman turned physical at the Arrowhead Campsites and Mobile Home Park.
The victim told a Marion County sheriff’s deputy on Thursday that Walter Woodrow Watts, 48, had been removing his items from her home in the campground, located at 1720 NW 38th Ave., when he asked her for the laundry basket. The victim said she told him he couldn’t have it because it was hers, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The victim said Watts grabbed her by the throat with both hands, threw her to the ground and threatened to kill her. The deputy observed a tear in the victim’s skin on the rear portion of the right side of her neck, which appeared to be where a fingernail dug into her skin. This was consistent with the victim’s story about Watts grabbing her by the neck, the report said.
The victim said after the incident took place, she went to the Marion County Courthouse and filed for an injunction on Watts, which was granted but had not been served by the time the victim reported the incident. She said her airway was not constricted when Watts had her by the throat, according to the report.
While the deputy was on the scene, the victim saw Watts trying to leave the campground in a white Toyota Tacoma. The deputy was able to stop and detain Watts, who said he was at the victim’s home earlier in the day but did not strike her. He said she struck him in the face and he left. There were no marks on Watts’ face, the report said.
Watts, who was charged in July 2019 with domestic battery by strangulation and witness tampering, was taken to the Marion County Jail. He was released Monday on $5,000 bond and will appear in Marion County Court on April 22.