A 60-year-old Ocklawaha woman is facing a felony battery charge after she allegedly threw a brick and struck one of her neighbor’s guests.
A Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a residence on SE 131st Lane in reference to a battery incident on Sunday, April 28.
Upon arrival, the deputy made contact with a female victim who stated that a next-door neighbor had struck her in the arm with a brick, according to the arrest report.
The neighbor was identified in the report as Marla Marie McNeal.
The victim stated that the incident occurred when she began arguing with a witness in the back yard of a neighboring residence. She advised that she had been invited to the incident location, and the argument with the witness was over personal belongings.
During the verbal altercation, the witness stated that a neighbor, McNeal, became upset and told her to leave, according to the report.
In response, the victim told McNeal that she had been invited to the residence and was not leaving. Moments later, as the victim began turning away from McNeal’s property, McNeal allegedly picked up a brick and threw it at the victim.
The brick allegedly struck the victim’s left forearm. The deputy noted in the report that a laceration and bruising was observed on the victim’s forearm, which was “consistent with the size and shape of the concrete brick.”
The witness spoke with the deputy and gave a corroborating statement.
The deputy made contact with the male homeowner who had invited the victim to the incident location. The homeowner provided video surveillance footage of the incident, and the report stated that the victim was clearly yelling shortly before a “loud noise” was heard. The noise was “consistent with the brick being thrown,” according to the report.
After observing the footage, the deputy made contact with McNeal. She advised during a post-Miranda interview that she “did not like that the victim was arguing” with the witness. The report stated that while McNeal admitted to yelling during the incident, she denied throwing a brick at the victim.
McNeal was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail, where she is currently being held on a $2,000 bond. She is being charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
A court date has been scheduled at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 28, according to jail records.