A 31-year-old Dunnellon man was arrested after allegedly choking a female victim near her vehicle during an argument.
On Saturday, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a Dunnellon residence on SW 135th Avenue in reference to a battery.
The deputy met a female victim who stated that Todrick Cortez Behn had choked her during an argument.
According to the victim, she went to Behn’s residence to collect some of her belongings. When she entered the residence, Behn told her to leave.
Behn grabbed her by her sweatshirt and pushed her out of the residence. An argument ensued, and he allegedly grabbed her by the neck and held her against the hood of her vehicle.
She recalled her neck being squeezed and stated it was difficult to breathe.
The victim asked Behn to let her go and he allegedly released his grip, covered her mouth, and told her to “shut the (expletive) up.”
She stated that Behn grabbed her neck again, pulled her to the ground, knelt on her arm with his knee, and kept a grip on her neck.
After a short time, Behn allegedly released her and told her to leave. The victim climbed into her vehicle, drove to a nearby location, and contacted law enforcement.
The deputy noticed redness on her lower neck and some blood from a cut on the inside of her lip.
Behn was at his residence and agreed to speak with the deputy. He admitted to grabbing the victim by her sweatshirt and walking her outside.
He claimed the victim had entered his residence uninvited, and he held her against the vehicle to keep her from walking back inside.
According to Behn, the victim slid down the vehicle while he still had a grip of her shirt. He then claimed to have released her and he returned to his residence.
Behn was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held without bond. He faces a felony charge for domestic battery by strangulation.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.