A 73-year-old Ocala woman found herself behind bars recently after an argument over finances and kittens left a man bleeding from his big toe.
While en route to an Ocala residence, deputies made contact with 73-year-old Amelia Pagano, who was walking in the 1100 block of N.W. 120th Avenue. She admitted she had been in a dispute and said she had removed some of her property and left the residence, a sheriff’s office report states.
Deputies then had paramedics check Pagano after she told them she was a diabetic. During the evaluation, she said, “I guess I’m going to jail,” the report says.
Deputies spoke with the victim and the person who called law enforcement for help. The victim said Pagano and the other person, who wasn’t identified in the report, were in a verbal dispute over finances when they “stormed” inside the residence where he was seated in his recliner. He said Pagano then flipped over a television stand table that struck him on his right big toe, which was bleeding, the report says.
After being read her rights, Pagano said she believed the person she was arguing with and the victim were trying to “set her up” and she didn’t injure the victim. She claimed the victim kicked the table, which caused the injury, and said she was upset and “removed the table forcefully,” which caused items to fall and break. She also claimed the victim pushed her after the incident, the report says.
Pagano was placed under arrest and transported to the Marion County Jail, where she was charged with domestic battery. She was released on $250 bond and is due in court June 9 at 8 am., jail records show.