An Ocala man spent Thursday night in the Marion County Jail for allegedly knocking his girlfriend unconscious and stealing her car.
Timothy Hall, 35, was charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle, petit theft, domestic battery, and simple domestic assault (intent to do violence). He was released Friday on $5,000 bond and will appear in Marion County Court on Oct. 22.
The victim told an Ocala Police officer that she and Hall got into an argument around 4 p.m. Thursday about Hall not having a driver’s license. She said she’s allowed him to drive her vehicle in the past, but when she found out he doesn’t have a valid license, she told him he couldn’t use it anymore, according to the OPD report.
The victim said when she told Hall he couldn’t use the car, he slapped her on the left side of her face with the back of his hand. She said she fell to the ground and lost consciousness, and Hall left the residence. The officer observed her left cheek was swollen and she had a red mark inside her mouth on the left side. The victim declined medical treatment, the report said.
The victim said Hall returned around 8:45 p.m., walked into her bedroom and took her vehicle title and keys. She said she tried to take the keys from Hall, but he made a fist and raised it in a threatening manner, and she backed off out of fear of being hit. She said Hall left the residence with her vehicle, according to the report.
Another officer saw the vehicle at around 10:10 p.m. at the Racetrac store, at 3040 S. Pine Ave., and found Hall in the bathroom. Hall was immediately detained and placed in handcuffs, the report said.
After being read his Miranda rights, Hall said the victim was having an affair and that is what the argument was about. He denied all allegations of hitting the victim and said she has let him borrow the vehicle in the past. When asked if he was given permission to use the vehicle on that day, he replied he had been using it all day. He said he left the residence because he saw the verbal dispute was escalating, according to the report.
At that point, the victim called dispatch and said she didn’t want to press charges against Hall. The officer took the keys back to the victim and told her the charges Hall was facing and she decided to continue pressing charges. Officers searched for the vehicle and did not find the title, the report said.