A Silver Springs man who went off his meds is accused of strangling a woman who wouldn’t have sex with him and battering another woman who tried to intervene.
A Marion County sheriff’s deputy responded Tuesday morning to a residence on East Fort King Street, where the first victim said 44-year-old David Matthew Crooks had left the area in a vehicle. She said Crooks is a chronic alcoholic, bipolar and schizophrenic, and becomes more and more violent when he drinks, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The victim said she and Crooks had been arguing most of the night because she didn’t feel good and did not want to have sex with him. The incident was captured on video surveillance in the office area of the residence, but there was no sound. On the video, Crooks approached the victim from the living room area and put his finger right against her face, the report said.
As the victim pushed Crooks’ finger away from her face, she accidentally poked him in the eye and he turned away. Crooks then turned back towards her and grabbed her by the throat with both hands. He pushed her back against the wall, causing her to hit her head and fall. The victim said she did not lose consciousness, but Crooks was choking her, according to the report.
That prompted the second victim to come out of her bedroom. Crooks immediately got into the second victim’s face and started poking her in the face. As the second victim pushed Crooks away, he hit her on the left side of her face with what appeared to be an open hand, the report said.
Crooks poked at the second victim’s face several more times as she tried to get him away and calm him down. He then pushed her in the chest and onto the couch before dragging her down the hallway, according to the report.
The deputy observed a small red abrasion on the right side of the first victim’s neck, where it meets the shoulder. There were no visible injuries on the second victim, the report said.
The deputy contacted Crooks by phone, and Crooks agreed to return to the residence and turn himself in. He told the deputy his bi-polar and schizophrenic medications aren’t working and sometimes his rages get beyond his control. Both victims confirmed that Crooks refuses to take any of his medicine because he doesn’t like the way it makes him feel, according to the report.
Crooks was charged with one count of domestic battery by strangulation and another count of simple domestic battery. He was taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was released Thursday on $2,000 bond. Crooks is due to appear in Marion County Court on Oct. 20.