A 31-year-old man with a prior battery conviction was arrested in Ocala after he allegedly strangled his girlfriend and repeatedly struck her while driving.

The incident reportedly began early in the morning on Saturday, June 20, when the female victim and her boyfriend, Jaquavius Allen Lee Brown, got into an argument at an Ocala apartment complex. According to a Marion County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, the victim was sitting in the driver’s seat of her vehicle when Brown forcefully pulled her out of the vehicle and took her spot behind the steering wheel.

After the victim climbed into the back seat, Brown began driving toward their shared residence. During the drive, Brown allegedly reached into the back seat and struck the victim multiple times.

When they arrived at the home, the victim exited the vehicle. Brown then reportedly reversed the vehicle into a fence while the driver’s door remained open.

Later that day, the victim contacted law enforcement to report the battery and property damage. When deputies met with the victim at a local high school to conduct an interview, they allegedly observed Brown fleeing from the area on foot.

Despite establishing a perimeter and utilizing a K-9 unit, deputies were initially unable to locate Brown.

The report mentioned that the victim had numerous injuries that included scratches on her nose, a laceration above her eyebrow, facial swelling, bruising on her arms, and bruising around her neck. The victim told deputies she was strangled and had a difficult time breathing during the altercation.

In the report, an MCSO corporal further noted that an earring backing had been pushed into the victim’s skin due to the impact of the alleged strikes, and smeared blood was observed on the back seat of her vehicle.

The victim later alerted deputies that a relative had spotted Brown in the 3000 block of SE 46th Court, and Brown was subsequently taken into custody.

After being advised of his Miranda rights, Brown denied allegations that a physical altercation had occurred, later claiming that the victim had hit him and damaged her own vehicle, according to the report.

A criminal history search of Brown revealed that he was previously convicted of battery by strangulation in Orange County in 2019.

Once the post-Miranda interview concluded, Brown was placed under arrest and booked into Marion County Jail, where he remains in custody. His bond has been set at $10,000, and he is facing the following felony charges: domestic battery by strangulation and simple battery (second or subsequent offense).

On Tuesday, July 21, Brown is scheduled to appear in a Marion County courtroom at 9 a.m., according to jail records.