An Ocala man was arrested after he allegedly strangled a woman two weeks after she kicked him out of her home.
Marquis Jamal Nance, 28, was charged with domestic battery by strangulation and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana after the incident, which happened shortly after 8 p.m. Thursday.
Nance rode up to Marion County sheriff’s deputies on a zero-turn lawn mower when they arrived at the incident location. He refused to comply when deputies told him to get off the mower and was detained, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The victim said she kicked Nance out of the home two weeks ago, and his personal belongings were in the back yard underneath a children’s play set. She said Nance arrived at the home intoxicated and started throwing and breaking things. Deputies observed broken flowerpots, glass and plastic lawn lights, the report said.
The victim said she tried to leave the house with her daughter. She said she made it all the way to her car when Nance grabbed the mask she was wearing and pulled it off her face. The victim said Nance placed his arm around her neck and tried to choke her, but she bit his arm and he let go. She said she got inside her car and called law enforcement, according to the report.
Nance was slurring his words and had a strong odor of alcohol when speaking to deputies. He wouldn’t give any direct answers to their questions and kept demanding to know what he did. Nance said the victim was setting him up and claimed he had been cutting grass all day and was on his mower the entire time, the report said.
A search of the lawn mower turned up a small clear plastic bag containing a green leafy substance that field tested positive for marijuana. Asked about the marijuana, Nance said the victim set him up. He then denied being on the mower when deputies arrived at the scene, according to the report.
Nance had a red lump on the upper part of his arm that appeared to be a bite mark. He was taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was still being held Sunday on $2,500 bond. Nance will appear in Marion County Court on June 30.