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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Ocala man reacts badly after girlfriend plays joke on him

Dietrich Shyrone Bess

An Ocala man was arrested Tuesday night after he reportedly shoved two women, said he was going to kill himself, and drove his girlfriend’s SUV into an unoccupied residence down the street after she played a joke on him.

Dietrich Shyrone Bess, 34, of NW 4th Street, then reportedly jumped out of the vehicle and fled on foot, and he had to be tracked down by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Air One helicopter. Once located by multiple deputies and ordered to the ground, he told them, “You’re going to have to kill me first,” and started walking away. He finally stopped after multiple commands and was placed under arrest, according to the sheriff’s office report.

Bess was charged with battery (second or subsequent offense), aggravated battery on a person 65 years of age or older and resisting an officer without violence. Bess has multiple prior arrests in Marion County for battery and drug-related offenses, according to jail records.

The first victim, who is 74 years old, told the investigating deputy she is allowing Bess and his girlfriend to live with her. She said the incident started when Bess’ girlfriend told him a joke that an unknown fictional man woke him up out of his sleep. The victim said Bess believed the joke and became irate and wouldn’t listen to his girlfriend or either of the victims when they said it was only a joke. She said Bess started yelling and screaming at everyone and pushed her backwards twice while demanding her car keys. The victim said she did not have the keys when Bess pushed her the second time. She said she didn’t have any known injuries and did not hit the ground, the report said.

The second victim said she was trying to calm Bess down when he pushed her out of the way. She said Bess pushed her once while trying to get the keys, according to the report.

Bess’ girlfriend said she saw Bess push both victims. She said she was trying to play a joke on Bess by telling him a man woke him up out of his sleep. She said he became enraged and ran out to the road looking for the unknown man in the street. Bess’ girlfriend said he came back inside and started screaming and yelling for keys to the victim’s car. She said Bess pushed the first victim twice and the second victim once Bess’ girlfriend said Bess snatched her keys out of her hand before he left in the vehicle and she saw him crash it into the house down the street, the report said.

Once in custody and read his Miranda warning, Bess told the deputy a verbal argument took place at the residence after he was awakened and told an unknown man had tried to wake him up. He said he got scared and started to panic. He said he was engaged in a verbal argument with the first victim and was trying to get the keys to the vehicle to locate the unknown man. He admitted to pushing one of the victims when trying to leave the residence, according to the report.

Bess told the deputy he was not trying to resist arrest, though when the deputy gave commands, he said, “I said, it was not going to go like that.” Bess suffered a laceration to his left temple that was treated at Advent Health before he was taken to the Marion County Jail, the report said.

Bess was released Friday on $4,000 bail and will stand trial in Marion County Court on March 2.