A Silver Springs man found hiding under his house was arrested for allegedly strangling a woman and kicking her juvenile son when he tried to intervene.
Steven Allen Biles, 28, was charged with domestic battery by strangulation, child abuse without great bodily harm and resisting an officer without violence.
Multiple units from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, including K-9, responded to Biles’ residence on Thursday in response to a battery that reportedly occurred at around 5:25 p.m. The victim said Biles struck her in the face, choked her and slammed her onto the floor of the residence, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The victim said her breathing was impeded while Biles choked her. She said her juvenile son tried to get Biles off her and Biles “push kicked” him in the stomach three times to get him away. The victim said she scratched Biles in self-defense, causing him to bleed, the report said.
The victim said she tried to keep Biles in the house until law enforcement arrived but was unsuccessful. She said Biles was hiding underneath the house. The deputy observed slight redness near the victim’s eyes and nose but did not see any obvious injuries along her throat or neck, according to the report.
The victim’s son said he saw the victim and Biles arguing and he tried to intervene after Biles slammed her into the ground and started hitting her. He said grabbed Biles and tried to pull him off the victim. The victim’s son said he saw Biles choking the victim with both hands, the report said.
The victim’s son said Biles kicked him in a pushing manner about three times during the incident. He said he wasn’t hurt. The deputy did not observe any obvious injuries on the victim’s son. A juvenile eyewitness corroborated the accounts given by the victim and her son, according to the report.
A neighbor said she heard Biles and the victim arguing. She said when she went to the incident location, she saw the victim trying to keep Biles from leaving. The neighbor said she helped Biles leave the residence because she was under the impression he was being attacked by the victim, the report said.
A short time later, a K-9 deputy and dog found Biles hiding under the incident location. The deputy gave several loud commands for Biles to come out, but he refused. Biles finally came out from under the house when warned the dog would be released. He said he was sleeping under the house after separating himself from the victim, according to the report.
Biles denied becoming physical with either the victim or her son. He refused to say how he got the scratches on his head and face. Biles was taken to the Marion County Jail, where is being held on $32,000 bond. He is due to appear in Marion County Jail on Sept. 15.