A landlord in Marion Oaks was arrested after he allegedly punched a tenant in the face and brandished a machete in their shared home during an argument over name-calling.
On Tuesday, June 9, Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a home located on SW 173rd Place Road in reference to a physical altercation. Upon arrival, deputies made contact with a male victim, his female partner, and their children, according to the arrest report.
The couple reportedly told the deputies that they rent half of the residence from a man identified as 66-year-old Agustin Pacheco, Jr. In the report, one of the deputies noted that the male victim had blood on his shirt sleeve and a cut below his right eye.
While at the residence, Pacheco allegedly came outside, yelled that he had been “jumped,” and claimed he could not be arrested because the house belonged to his spouse. He then reportedly told the deputies that he overheard the male victim calling him “weak” and a “punk (expletive) (expletive),” which made him “very angry.”
According to the report, Pacheco knocked on the couple’s door in a shared entry hallway. The female victim stated that Pacheco was acting “very aggressively and manic,” which prompted the male victim to approach the door in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.
Moments later, Pacheco allegedly punched the male victim in the face.
As the altercation escalated and the victims’ children attempted to intervene, Pacheco allegedly retreated to his side of the home, retrieved a machete, and returned to confront the family.
During the incident, the victims reportedly feared for their safety.
After briefly retreating onto his side of the home, Pacheco allegedly opened a locked adjoining door, stepped into the victims’ living space with his fist balled up, and mentioned that he was ready to fight.
The male victim stated that he pushed Pacheco back into his own side of the residence, where the two began wrestling on the floor until the victim’s children separated them.
While deputies were inside the residence, Pacheco reportedly called a friend and was heard spontaneously stating that his “adrenaline took over.” He then allegedly admitted to pulling out the machete and confronting the male victim over the insults he claimed to have heard.
Pacheco was placed under arrest and transported to Marion County Jail, where he remains in custody. His bond has been set at $6,000, and he is facing a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, as well as a misdemeanor charge of battery (touch or strike).
A court date for Pacheco has not yet been scheduled, according to jail records.