A 37-year-old Ocala man was arrested over the weekend after allegedly attacking a door-to-door home security salesman who was walking in his neighborhood.
On Saturday, January 25, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office corporal responded to a neighborhood located on SE 70th Circle in Ocala in reference to a physical altercation. The victim, who works for the security company Vivint, told law enforcement that he was battered by a homeowner, according to the arrest report.
The victim advised that he had approached a house belonging to a man, identified in the report as Christopher Michael Ort, approximately 30 minutes before the physical altercation occurred. When Ort answered the door, he allegedly told the victim that he was “not interested” in what the victim was selling.
According to the victim’s statement, he left Ort’s residence and approached other homes in the neighborhood. Around 30 minutes later, he stated he was walking in the roadway in front of Ort’s home when Ort approached him while yelling, “What the (expletive) did I say.”
As the victim backed away from Ort with his arms extended to “create distance,” Ort allegedly reached out, grabbed the victim by a lanyard that was around his neck, and “forcefully threw (the victim) to the ground,” according to the report.
The victim alleged that while he was on the ground, Ort “had a hold of the lanyard,” and the victim “felt as if he was being strangled.” The report stated that the incident eventually came to an end when Ort walked away and left the area in his pickup truck.
In the report, the corporal noted that the victim had redness on the front and back of his neck that was “[in] the shape of the lanyard.” Slight swelling was also observed on the back of the victim’s neck.
The corporal spoke with Ort over the phone, and Ort returned to the neighborhood to meet with law enforcement. After being read his Miranda rights, Ort stated that he had previously told the victim that he was not interested in purchasing a Vivint security system, adding that soliciting is “not allowed” in the neighborhood, according to the report.
Ort further stated that he saw that the victim was “still going around door-to-door,” which prompted Ort to approach the victim. He further claimed that the victim “fell on the ground” while walking backwards, away from him.
During the post-Miranda interview, Ort denied touching the victim or his lanyard.
Ort was placed under arrest and transported to Marion County Jail. The following day, he was released after posting bond, and he is being charged with battery by strangulation.
On Tuesday, February 25, Ort is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m., according to jail records.