A 35-year-old Ocklawaha man was arrested by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office after a woman accused him of burning her hip with a lit cigar.
On Thursday, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to Marion County Jail and made contact with the female victim who advised that her friend, Todd Christopher Powell, had burned her left hip with a cigar, according to the MCSO report.
The victim advised that the incident occurred on or around Friday, February 3 in the evening hours. She stated that she was in her bedroom with Powell, and he had just rolled a “cigar blunt.”
While Powell was smoking the cigar, the victim stated that he told her, “You don’t think I’ll hurt you.” The victim claimed that Powell then proceeded to press the lit end of the cigar against her left hip, according to the MCSO report.
The victim stated that she told Powell that he had just burned her and an argument quickly ensued. She advised that she was standing in the entryway to the bedroom when Powell grabbed her hair, bent her over, placed the lit end of the cigar against her left hip, and held it there for several seconds. After the incident, the victim told the deputy that she did not seek any medical attention because she was afraid of Powell, according to the MCSO report.
In the days following the incident, the victim told the deputy that Powell had punched her and slapped the back of her head multiple times. The deputy noted in the report that the victim “seemed very scared” of what Powell might do to her if he was arrested by law enforcement.
In the MCSO report, the deputy noted that the wound on the victim’s left hip was showing signs of healing. The deputy observed that the wound was approximately one-half to three-quarters of an inch deep, and it was roughly the size of a half dollar coin.
The victim told the deputy that she had allowed Powell to stay at her residence previously, though she claimed she had told him to leave on several occasions. The deputy responded to the victim’s residence and located Powell. He was detained in handcuffs in the back of the deputy’s patrol car.
After being read his Miranda rights, Powell claimed that he did not remember the incident with the victim, though he claimed that he never hit her.
Powell was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $2,000 bond. He is facing a felony charge for battery.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.