An 18-year-old Ocala man was arrested after he admitted to pepper spraying his girlfriend and two of her siblings during a dispute over a dog and a social media password.
Thomas Jason Dale Shaffer, of 1727 NE 36th Ave #12, was charged with one count of dating violence and two counts of simple battery after the incident, which happened recently at the victim’s residence.
The victim told a Marion County sheriff’s deputy that Shaffer drove to her house with several friends and family members and walked into her yard. She said Shaffer started yelling at her and asking her to give him his dog and the password to his Snapchat account, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The victim said she told Shaffer to leave and at that point, he ran up to her, her brother and sister and sprayed them with pepper spray. She said Shaffer punched one of the victims and a physical altercation ensued involving Shaffer and the victims, the report said.
All three victims provided similar stories, and the deputy observed all three victims’ faces and eyes were red from being sprayed. One of the victims had several scratches on the right wrist and another had scratches on the left shin, according to the report.
Contacted at his residence, Shaffer said he went to his girlfriend’s house to retrieve his dog and Snapchat password. He said his girlfriend had been using his account without his permission and had changed his password. Shaffer said he borrowed his friend’s pepper spray to use in case he had to defend himself, the report said.
Shaffer said when he arrived at the residence, he was asked to leave. He said he kept asking for the dog and his password. Shaffer said one of the victims came outside and attacked him, and he got his pepper spray out to defend himself. He admitted to pointing it at the three victims but said he didn’t know if he actually sprayed anyone, according to the report.
Shaffer said he grabbed his dog and left the residence in his friend’s vehicle. The deputy observed Shaffer had scratches on his back and a bump on the back of his head, consistent with one of the victims jumping on his back. He denied hitting any of the victims and said he didn’t start the altercation, the report said.
Shaffer was determined to be the primary aggressor and taken to the Marion County Jail. He was released on his own recognizance and will appear in Marion County Court on May 13.