A 49-year-old Ocala man was arrested after allegedly hitting and choking a female victim inside a local residence.
On Monday, December 20, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a residence on SW 108th Lane in Ocala in reference to a domestic dispute.
Upon arrival, the deputy observed a laceration and bruising on the right side of the female victim’s face, and red marks were visible on her neck.
The victim stated that her boyfriend, Shawn Derby Simon, had held her down and choked her, and she recalled being unable to breathe.
Simon allegedly dragged her around the residence by her legs. She told him that she needed to leave for work, but he continued to hold her down.
According to the victim, Simon told her that he “wanted her to die.”
A dog inside the residence heard the commotion and pushed through the bedroom door. Simon allowed for her to get up and she ran out of the residence.
She went to the closest neighbor’s door to call for help, was allowed inside, and waited there until law enforcement arrived.
The victim told the deputy that Simon hit her multiple times, though she was unsure of the exact details regarding how she received the numerous scratches, bruises, and laceration.
Simon was inside the residence and refused to come out. The victim provided the deputy with a code which only unlocked one of the doors leading to the front door.
The deputy made a forced entry through the front door into the residence and detained Simon.
Simon claimed that the victim attacked him, and he had tried to remove her from the residence by physically restraining her. The deputy observed a scratch on his left ear and bite marks on his left arm.
When asked how the victim received her injuries, Simon initially had no explanation and then later stated that the injuries were self-inflicted by the victim.
Simon was arrested, transported to Marion County Jail, and he was later released on $5,000 bond. He is facing a felony charge for domestic battery by strangulation.
A court date has been scheduled at 9 a.m. on January 25, 2022, according to jail records.