| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: HRYC, CHRISTOPHER 0701 (AR11121505) DID UNLAWFULLY COMMIT BATTERY UPON THE VICTIM BY ACTUALLY AND INTENTIONALLY TOUCHING OR STRIKING SAID PERSON AGAINST SAID PERSON'S WILL, OR BY INTENTIONALLY CAUSING BODILY HARM, TO WIT: GRABBING THE VICTIM, THROWING HER TO THE GROUND AND SCRATCHING HER ON THE NECK, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 784.03(1)(A)(1). ON 062911, I RESPONDED TO 991 SOUTH SKYWAY AVENUE IN REFERENCE TO A DISTURBANCE. WHILE EN ROUTE, DISPATCH ADVISED THAT THE SUSPECT/DEFENDANT NANCY LEACH WAS ATTEMPTING TO LEAVE IN A GOLD VAN. AS I ARRIVED ON SCENE, DEFENDANT LEACH WAS SITTING IN THE GOLD VAN. AS I MADE CONTACT WITH HER SHE WAS SCREAMING AT WITNESS ANTHONY BALLARD, WHO IS HER BOYFRIEND. WHEN SHE MADE CONTACT WITH ME SHE WAS EXTREMELY BELLIGERENT. SHE BEGAN TO SCREAM AT THIS DEPUTY THAT SHE DID NOT DO ANYTHING. SHE WAS ALSO CRYING AND EXTREMELY SWEATY. I ASKED THE DEFENDANT WHAT HAPPENED AND SHE STATED THAT SHE FELL ASLEEP IN HER BOYFRIEND/WITNESS ANTHONY BALLARD'S VAN AND DID NOT COME HOME LAST NIGHT. SHE STATED THAT WHEN SHE CAME HOME TODAY PRIOR TO MY ARRIVAL THAT AN ARGUMENT ENSUED BETWEEN HER, ANTHONY BALLARD AND BENITA HARDER, WHICH CAUSED BENITA TO BECOME EXTREMELY PHYSICAL WITH THE DEFENDANT. I DID OBSERVE RED MARKS ON THE DEFENDANT'S WRIST. THE DEFENDANT STATED THAT THEY SHE AND THE VICTIM WERE SEPARATED AND THAT SHE LEFT THE RESIDENCE AND SAT IN THE VAN, WAITING FOR MY ARRIVAL. I MADE CONTACT WITH WITNESS ANTHONY BALLARD. HE STATED THAT DEFENDANT LEACH HAS NOT BEEN HOME IN TWO DAYS AND SHE HAS HAD HIS VAN. HE STATED THAT SHE ARRIVED THIS AFTERNOON AND THAT HE WAS UPSET, WHICH CAUSED AN ARGUMENT. HE STATED THAT DEFENDANT LEACH THEN ACCUSED HIM OF SLEEPING WITH THE VICTIM, BENITA HARDER, AND THAT WHEN SHE ACCUSED HIM OF SLEEPING WITH HER AN ARGUMENT BEGAN BETWEEN THE VICTIM AND THE DEFENDANT. HE STATED THAT DEFENDANT LEACH BECAME EXTREMELY UPSET AND ATTACKED THE VICTIM BY RUNNING AT HER, GRABBING HER AND WRESTLING HER TO THE GROUND. HE ADVISED THAT THE TWO OF THEM WERE SEPARATED BY WITNESS MATTHEW CLARKSON AND DEFENDANT LEACH WAS ESCORTED OUT OF THE RESIDENCE. HE STATED ONCE SHE WAS OUTSIDE, SHE PICKED UP A CERAMIC BUNNY RABBIT AND BEGAN BREAKING WINDOWS WITH IT. I OBSERVED ONE WINDOW LOCATED NEXT TO THE FRONT DOOR HAD BEEN SMASHED OUT AND A CERAMIC BUNNY RABBIT WAS SITTING ON THE WOOD DECKING NEXT TO THE WINDOW. I THEN MADE CONTACT WITH WITNESS MATTHEW CLARKSON. HE PROVIDED A WRITTEN STATEMENT THAT STATED "NANCY CAME TO THE HOUSE WITH TONY'S VAN AFTER BEING GONE FOR TWO DAYS AND THEN CAME INTO THE HOUSE AND STARTED SCREAMING AT BENITA AND THEN ATTACKED HER BY PUNCHING AND SCRATCHING HER. I SEPARATED HER AND REMOVED HER FROM THE HOUSE AND THEN SHE BROKE SEVERAL WINDOWS AND BEGAN TO DESTRUCT PROPERTY". I THEN MADE CONTACT WITH THE VICTIM, BENITA HARDER. SHE STATED THAT SHE DID NOT NEED ANY MEDICAL SERVICES. SHE STATED SHE WAS SITTING IN HER BEDROOM WHEN NANCY LEACH CAME IN THE RESIDENCE FROM BEING GONE ALL NIGHT AND THAT DEFENDANT LEACH ACCUSED HER AND TONY OF BEING TOGETHER. SHE THEN STATED THAT DEFENDANT LEACH RUSHED DOWN THE HALLWAY AT HER AND WRESTLED HER TO THE GROUND, WHICH CAUSED HER TO SCRATCH HER NECK AND THEN SHORTLY AFTER, SOMEONE HAD SEPARATED THEM AND ESCORTED DEFENDANT LEACH OUT OF THE RESIDENCE. SHE STATED THE NEXT THING SHE KNEW THE DEFENDANT WAS SMASHING WINDOWS IN HER RESIDENCE. I ASKED HOW THEY KNEW EACH OTHER AND VICTIM BENITA STATED THAT THEY HAD BEEN LIVING TOGETHER AND THE DEFENDANT'S BOYFRIEND TONY LIVES IN THE RESIDENCE WITH HER AS WELL. I OBSERVED THE TRAILER TO BE IN DISARRAY WHERE THE ALTERCATION OCCURRED. ITEMS WERE SPILLED OFF OF A TABLE. I ALSO OBSERVED THE VICTIM TO HAVE A LARGE SCRATCH ON HER NECK, CONSISTENT WITH HER STORY. AT THAT TIME I ADVISED THE DEFENDANT SHE WAS BEING PLACED UNDER ARREST FOR BATTERY. SHE WAS THEN HANDCUFFED (DOUBLED LOCKED) AND TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY FOR BOOKING AND PROCESSING. SHE WAS THEN RELEASED ON HER OWN RECOGNIZANCE. "If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the ADA Coordinator at the Office of the Trial Court Administrator, Citrus County Courthouse, 110 North Apopka Avenue, Inverness, Florida 34450, Telephone (352) 341-6700, at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.” *NOT-EXEMPT* |
