A 56-year-old Silver Springs man was arrested after he allegedly choked and repeatedly punched a woman in the face at a local motel.

On Monday, June 8, Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the Silver River Inn located on East Silver Springs Boulevard in reference to a reported battery incident.

Upon arrival, deputies made contact with a female victim who stated that her friend, identified as Eric Edward Shaw, had battered her. The victim told deputies that Shaw had come over to her room that evening and wanted to hang out, according to the arrest report.

Although the victim initially declined, she eventually agreed to hang out with Shaw inside her room for “a couple of minutes.”

According to the victim’s statement, Shaw entered the room, pulled up a chair next to the bed, and began smoking marijuana. He then allegedly started rummaging through the victim’s drawers, which contained her personal belongings.

The victim stated that she closed the drawers and told Shaw to leave, but he reportedly refused.

During the incident, Shaw allegedly exposed himself to the victim and began performing a lewd act in front of her.

When the victim demanded that Shaw leave the motel room, he allegedly grabbed her by the shoulders, threw her backwards onto the bed, and began choking her with his right hand until she could not breathe. After releasing his grip, Shaw reportedly punched the victim in the face three to four times with a closed fist.

An MCSO deputy noted in the report that the victim had strangulation marks around her neck, as well as several facial lacerations and a split nose that left her face covered in blood. She was subsequently transported to a local hospital for medical treatment.

After being advised of his Miranda rights, Shaw reportedly claimed that the victim was drunk and attacked him first by striking him in the back with a broomstick. However, deputies observed no injuries on Shaw’s back to corroborate his claim, according to the report.

The deputy mentioned in the report that Shaw had a bloody laceration on his right knuckle, which was “consistent with punching someone.” Two small cuts were also visible on his right arm.

The victim denied striking Shaw with a broomstick. She told deputies that she managed to grab a stick from next to her bed while she was being choked, and she allegedly used it to chase Shaw out of the room after he released her.

Shaw was placed under arrest and booked into Marion County Jail, where he remains in custody. His bond has been set at $5,000, and he is facing the following charges: battery by strangulation and battery (touch or strike).

Jail records show that a court date for Shaw has not yet been scheduled.