An Ocala man was arrested Sunday for his role in an altercation that left a woman with a busted lip.
Brandon Sexton, 22, was charged with domestic battery after the incident, which happened at the Glade Winds Apartments, 3000 SW 20th St. He was released on $500 bond from the Marion County Jail on Tuesday and will appear in court on May 17.
Ocala Police responded to a physical disturbance report at the apartment complex, where the victim told the responding officer that Sexton punched her in the face, causing a busted lip, according to the police report.
Sexton told the officer he was in an intimate relationship with the victim from April 2014 until June 2018 and that they have two children together. Both children were present during the altercation, according to the report.
Sexton said he and the victim had been arguing all day when the victim told him she was leaving with their children. He said she was holding a child in her arms when she charged towards him and slapped him on the left side of his face. Sexton said he then swung his arm across his body in an upward motion and struck the victim in the face, causing her to have a busted lip, according to the report.
Sexton said as the victim was calling police, she told him she was going to lie to the police about being struck so he would get arrested. Sexton said he also called the police to report the incident. The officer did not observe any visible injuries on Sexton, who said no one witnessed the incident other than the children, according to the report.
Due to the victim’s busted lip and Sexton’s lack of visible injuries, the officer determined Sexton was the primary aggressor and arrested him. Both Sexton and the victim completed domestic violence reports, and the state Department of Children and Families was contacted about the incident.