A 39-year-old Ocklawaha man was arrested after a female victim accused him of breaking a bedroom door and choking her on top of the bed.
On Sunday, May 1, Marion County Sheriff’s Office units were dispatched to a local residence in reference to a domestic battery incident. Upon arrival, the units met a man outside the residence who was later identified as Brian Michael Loughlin.
An MCSO corporal asked Loughlin what had happened, and he stated that he had gotten into an argument with the female victim. He claimed that the victim broke some glass and threw items inside the residence, and he added that nothing physical had occurred.
The corporal located the victim inside the residence. She was crying and appeared to be highly distraught, according to the MCSO report. She told the corporal that she had been in an ongoing argument with Loughlin since the previous evening.
According to the victim, Loughlin was about to leave the residence when she had asked him where he was going. Loughlin allegedly chased her around the residence, and she locked herself inside a bedroom.
The victim claimed that Loughlin broke down the door, shoved her to the bed, and pinned her down with his forearm. She stated that Loughlin proceeded to put pressure on her neck, which made it hard for her to breathe, and he allegedly used his elbow to strike her on top of her head.
The MCSO report indicated that the victim had a fresh red mark on the right side of her neck. The corporal also observed several pieces of glass on the floor of the living room and the bedroom door was off its hinges. Inside the bedroom, the corporal noted in the report that the room appeared to be in disarray.
Loughlin reiterated to the corporal that nothing physical had occurred with the victim. He stated that the victim had opened the back door and screamed for help when he was no longer inside the residence.
While Loughlin admitted to forcing open the bedroom door, he claimed that the door had been broken for a while. He alleged that the victim had struck him in the back, but the corporal was unable to observe any redness or injuries that were consistent with that claim.
A female witness told the corporal that she called law enforcement after hearing numerous screams and the sound of glass breaking from inside the residence.
Loughlin was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held without bond. He is facing a felony charge for domestic battery by strangulation.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.