A 32-year-old Ocklawaha man was arrested after he allegedly choked a female victim and fired a single gunshot outside of her residence.
On Tuesday, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office corporal and deputy responded to the local residence in reference to a possible physical disturbance involving a handgun. Upon arrival, the corporal made contact with a male reportee who advised that he had received a frantic phone call from the victim.
During that phone call, the reportee advised that the victim stated, “Help, I need you.” The reportee recalled hearing a struggle, the victim told him to “call 911,” and then the phone call ended. After calling law enforcement, the reportee drove to the victim’s residence.
The corporal next spoke with the victim. According to the MCSO report, the victim was visibly shaken and there were clear red marks on both sides of her neck. The victim advised that she had been arguing with Chet Anthony Asbill throughout the afternoon.
According to the victim, the front door of the residence was locked and Asbill entered the home through a guest room window. She confronted Asbill and stated that he grabbed her by the throat.
The victim told the corporal that she was gasping for air and had a difficult time breathing while Asbill was choking her. Asbill then allegedly grabbed her by the hair and pulled her into the living room. He then told the victim that “he was going to kill himself,” and he walked outside of the residence.
Shortly after Asbill stepped outside, the victim heard a single gunshot. When she stepped outside, she saw Asbill’s van as it drove away from the residence.
The MCSO report indicated that there were two children inside the residence, and the children heard the victim scream during the incident. The children hid inside the residence until law enforcement arrived on scene.
At around 7:50 p.m., an MCSO unit located Asbill’s vehicle in the Little Lake Weir subdivision and a felony traffic stop was conducted. While a deputy was taking Asbill into custody, he told the deputy, “The gun is in the car.” The deputy located a silver semi-automatic 9mm pistol in-between the driver’s seat and passenger’s seat.
A small container was also located inside the vehicle which contained a clear rocky substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine.
Asbill agreed to speak with MCSO regarding the incident. He admitted that there was a physical altercation with the victim. He claimed that the victim was on top of him, and he grabbed her by the shoulders and arms to push her away.
According to Asbill, he then told the victim that he was going to kill himself. He stated that he exited the residence and fired a single round into the ground before leaving the area.
Asbill was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $11,000 bond. He is facing felony charges for domestic battery by strangulation, carrying a concealed weapon – unlicensed firearm, using a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a controlled substance.
A court date has been scheduled on Tuesday, July 12 at 9 a.m., according to jail records.