A 37-year-old Marion County man is accused of throwing hot coffee on his girlfriend, choking her, and fleeing the scene in her Jeep Cherokee.
The incident occurred on Sunday, June 28, while the female victim and her boyfriend, Michael AJ Gonzalez, were driving to make a delivery, according to an arrest report from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
The victim told MCSO deputies that during a verbal altercation, Gonzalez became angry and threw hot coffee on her stomach and legs. When she asked him to stop, Gonzalez reportedly became further enraged, grabbing her head and arm before grabbing her by the neck and restricting her breathing.
Deputies later noted that the victim had redness on her neck and coffee stains on her pants.
When Gonzalez and the victim arrived at a Silver Springs residence to complete the delivery, he allegedly continued to act aggressively.
The victim asked a witness at the property to contact law enforcement. The report stated that the witness recalled seeing the victim throwing Gonzalez’s belongings out of her Jeep, at which point a black firearm allegedly fell out.
Gonzalez then reportedly gathered the items, including the firearm, and got into the victim’s Jeep and drove away. The victim advised that she had purchased the vehicle prior to meeting Gonzalez and he “does not have any ownership of it,” according to the report.
The victim later provided deputies with live security camera footage showing Gonzalez at her home, where he was loading items into his own Lincoln sedan.
A short time later, deputies located Gonzalez’s Lincoln and conducted a traffic stop. After being advised of his Miranda rights, Gonzalez allegedly claimed that the victim had struck him, adding that she told him to take her vehicle before law enforcement arrived at the Silver Springs home.
During the post-Miranda interview, Gonzalez reportedly admitted that firearms were in his Lincoln. An interior search of the vehicle was conducted, and deputies allegedly found the following items: a 12-gauge shotgun, two Glock 19 handguns, and hundreds of rounds of assorted ammunition.
A criminal history search of Gonzalez revealed that he was previously convicted of carrying a concealed firearm in Highlands County in August 2011, which is a felony.
Gonzalez was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail, where he remains in custody. His bond has been set at $75,000, and he is facing the following felony charges: domestic battery by strangulation, possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon, and grand theft of a motor vehicle.
On Tuesday, July 28, Gonzalez is scheduled to appear in a Marion County courtroom at 9 a.m., according to jail records.