A 63-year-old Ocala man was charged with battering a woman during an argument he said was over her drug use.
A Marion County sheriff’s deputy responding to a well-being check at the incident location on Wednesday met with Gordon Allen Reiss, who said he and the victim have been arguing for four days because she chooses to use crack cocaine. Reiss was visibly upset and yelled at the victim several times while talking with the deputy, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The victim said she and Reiss had been arguing Tuesday night and most of Wednesday. She said during the argument the previous night, she told Reiss to get out of her face. The victim said Reiss said OK and then used both hands to push her backwards, the report said.
The victim said the push caused her to fall between the kitchen island and a cabinet, resulting in a bump on her right hip and a bruise on her left wrist. The deputy observed a purple bruise on the victim’s left wrist, according to the report.
After being read his Miranda rights, Reiss said he did not push the victim. The victim’s mother said she observed the pair arguing but wasn’t inside the residence when the alleged incident occurred, the report said.
Reiss was taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was released Thursday on his own recognizance. He’ll appear in Marion County Court on April 15.