(Update: In a social media post on Thursday, November 30, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office stated that Kevin Joe Bohlin has been located and arrested. The original story is below.)
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a 26-year-old felony battery suspect after he removed his ankle monitor while on pre-trial release.
Kevin Joe Bohlin was arrested on November 4 after he allegedly punched a woman repeatedly while in a moving vehicle, breaking her nose. He was transported to Marion County Jail, where he was held on $2,000 bond.
During his first appearance in court on November 5, the Judge ordered Bohlin to participate in the S.H.I.E.L.D. (Surviving Harmful Interactions through Electronic Location Devices) program as part of his pre-trial release conditions.
On Wednesday, November 29, at approximately 7:15 a.m., Bohlin cut off his ankle monitor. His current location is unknown, according to MCSO.
A warrant has been issued for Bohlin’s arrest on the charges of tampering with an electronic monitoring device and violation of pre-trial release.
“We need your help getting this violent man off the streets,” stated MCSO on its Facebook page.
If you have any information on Bohlin’s whereabouts, the sheriff’s office asks that you call 352-732-9111. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can call the Crime Stoppers of Marion County at 352-368-STOP (7867) and reference 23-64 in your tip.
On November 3, a day prior to Bohlin’s arrest, an MCSO deputy responded to an unspecified location in Ocala in reference to a domestic battery incident involving a woman and Bohlin, according to the arrest report.
The deputy made contact with the female victim who stated that she had been battered by Bohlin while on their drive home from a friend’s house. The victim advised that the incident began when Bohlin yelled at her for “mocking” him, and he allegedly stated that he would “kill her” if she “did not answer his questions,” according to the report.
The victim told the deputy that Bohlin further threatened to “hit her for every question not answered.” She then advised that Bohlin “began yelling and punching her in the face,” and the report stated that she attempted to block the punches with her hands.
According to the victim, Bohlin punched her in the ribs while she was blocking her face, and he then allegedly punched her in the face when her hands dropped down to protect her midsection. She claimed that Bohlin continued to hit her, and she was eventually able to exit the vehicle when it turned onto NW 77th Terrace from W Highway 326.
The report stated that the victim then ran to a nearby residence for help. The deputy made contact with a witness at that home who advised that the victim was “bloody and beaten up” when she “appeared on his doorstep.”
The deputy noted in the report that the victim had multiple bloody lacerations, wounds, and bruises on her face, head, arms, and hands. In addition, her hands and face were “severely swollen,” and medical staff at HCA Florida Ocala Hospital later informed the sheriff’s office that the victim had suffered a “severe broken nose” during the altercation.
Bohlin’s arrest on November 4 occurred just one week after his release from Marion County Jail in connection with drug-related charges stemming from an incident in June.
On June 25, Bohlin was placed under arrest after several drugs were found inside his vehicle during a traffic stop. The case went before a Marion County judge on August 10, and Bohlin was convicted of possessing methamphetamine and cannabis (less than 20 grams), driving with a suspended license (second or subsequent offense), and failing to register a motor vehicle.
The judge sentenced Bohlin to 4 months at Marion County Jail. He was credited for time already served at the jail (1 month and 17 days), and he was eventually released on October 27.