Man uses chair to knock out roommate in dispute over feeding cats, Florida cops say
A household disagreement over feeding cats escalated to a bloody brawl that saw one roommate knock another unconscious with a chair, according to investigators in Florida.
This was after the victim was punched repeatedly in the face and choked, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office reported in an affidavit.
The fight happened around 7:45 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, at a home shared by multiple roommates near Ocala, investigators said. Ocala is about an 80-mile drive northwest from Orlando.
The first deputy on scene reported finding blood smeared on the front door, the living room floor and on a chair, according to an affidavit.
“I announced myself, at which time the victim ... exited the residence. The victim was covered in blood and holding his head,” the deputy reported.
“From the little I could understand, the victim advised his roommate Jose attacked him. The victim was then transported to West Marion Hospital.”
An investigation revealed he was beaten by Jose De La Torre, 35, as they “were arguing over feeding cats,” the affidavit reports.
De La Torre said he did not throw the first punch, but decided “to teach him a lesson” and started punching the victim repeatedly in the face.
“The defendant advised he grabbed a chair nearby and hit the victim with it in an aggressive manner while the victim was lying on the floor,” the deputy reported.
The victim says the blow knocked him unconscious, the report says.
Surveillance video from inside the home corroborated the victim’s story and revealed the suspect also choked him, the report states.
The victim escaped the home after biting the suspect on the arm, the affidavit says.
De La Torre was arrested for battery by strangulation and violating a preexisting felony probation for domestic battery by strangulation, the report states.
This story was originally published November 26, 2024 at 1:51 PM with the headline "Man uses chair to knock out roommate in dispute over feeding cats, Florida cops say."