A 41-year-old Dunnellon man was arrested after allegedly choking a woman, smashing a window, and puncturing her vehicle’s tires with a screwdriver after an argument.
On Monday, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrived at a Dunnellon residence in reference to an aggravated assault.
The deputy spoke with a female victim who stated that Elliott Anthony Rivera choked her.
According to the victim, she came home from work and Rivera had been drinking. He was allegedly upset after a phone call with his father, and he threw the Thanksgiving turkey outside the home out of frustration.
The victim and Rivera got into an argument, and she stated that he grabbed her by the arm, pushed her against the wall, and choked her by placing his hands around her throat.
She managed to run out the front door and onto the porch when Rivera allegedly pushed her down the stairs.
Rivera went inside the home and pulled parts of the sofa outside to create a burn pile. While he was doing this, she ran inside the home, closed the front door, and locked it.
He was holding a screwdriver, and the victim stated that he threatened to kill her and her son if he got inside.
Rivera allegedly broke a window with the screwdriver, and she pushed the refrigerator against the window to keep him from getting inside.
She heard pops outside, looked out a window, and saw Rivera puncture the tires on her vehicle.
The deputy found a screwdriver on the ground near the victim’s vehicle, and the deputy observed damage to the tires and valve stems.
When asked about the incident, Rivera refused to speak with the deputy.
Rivera was transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held without bond. He faces felony charges for domestic battery by strangulation, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and criminal mischief.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.