A man was detained for strangling a woman on a Florida sidewalk.
Deputies from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office recently arrested a Palm Coast man for domestic battery by strangulation after a passing motorist saw something and said something about a guy choking a woman on the sidewalk along Old Kings Road.
At 1:45 a.m., local deputies responded to a disturbance on Old Kings Road and Town Center Boulevard. When the deputy arrived, 44-year-old Eulices Soto of Palm Coast explained that he and the victim had argued and that he had a knife in his back pocket, which the officer removed before making him sit on the sidewalk.
According to local law enforcement, the woman, who was crying and appeared frightened, told deputies that she and Soto had been bickering in the car when they pulled over and that Soto then began strangling her on the sidewalk. Deputies discovered red markings around the victim’s neck, as well as blood on her lip and behind her left ear. The victim reported that she was unable to breathe for several seconds while Soto’s hands were around her neck.
The witness who contacted 911 reported that she was driving down Old Kings Road at around 1:40 a.m. when she noticed a man and a woman arguing on the sidewalk. She turned her car around and returned to see Soto on top of the victim on the ground, his hands around her neck. She promptly dialed 911 and stopped to check on the victim.
“Clearly, this man did not receive our admonition last week to decrease the temperature before an argument becomes hot. This man held a knife in his back pocket and his hands around her neck. ” Strangling someone is not just an argument; it is only a few seconds away from homicide,” stated Sheriff Rick Staly. “A hero driving by ‘saw something and said something’ and likely saved this woman’s life, and I thank her for calling 911.”
Deputies arrested Soto for domestic abuse by strangulation. He was sent to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where he was eventually freed on a $35,000 bail. According to local law enforcement, Soto was just released on probation from Federal Prison after serving 17.5 years for conspiracy to import more than 1 kg of heroin into the United States.
If you are a victim of domestic violence and require assistance, resources are available. In case of an emergency, dial or text 911. To report a violation or contact the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office in a non-emergency situation, call 386-313-4911 or the Family Life Center’s 24-hour confidential domestic abuse hotline at 386-437-3505.
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