A 70-year-old Ocala man was arrested Monday morning after he allegedly held a door shut on his female roommate’s arm during a dispute over TV volume and air conditioning.
The victim told a Marion County sheriff’s deputy she woke up to Robert Paul Westerberg watching television with the volume extremely loud. She said she yelled at Westerberg to turn the TV down, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The victim said after a short time, she decided to try to go back to sleep, so she walked out to the living room and turned the air conditioning to the trailer on and returned to her room. She said Westerberg immediately turned the AC off, and she went back out into the living room and turned it back on, the report said.
The victim said while she was returning to her room, Westerberg pushed her into her room and said, “stay in your room” and slammed the door. She said she tried to get out of her room and found Westerberg was holding the door shut. She said when she pushed o the door, it slipped open and her arm went between the door and the door jam, according to the report.
The victim said Westerberg pushed the door shut on her arm and wouldn’t let her get it out from between the door and door jam. The deputy observed several small bruises forming around the victim’s left arm near the elbow, the report said.
Westerberg said he and the victim were in a verbal altercation. He said the victim entered and left her room several times while they were arguing and at one point she came out of her room with a TV remote. Westerberg said he didn’t know if the victim was coming after him with the remote or using it in her room, according to the report.
Westerberg and the victim are roommates only. There is no domestic relationship between the two, the report said.
Westerberg was charged with simple battery and is being held in the Marion County Jail on $500 bond. He is due to appear in Marion County Court on Jan. 15, 2021.