A Leesburg man was arrested on assault and battery charges for alleged domestic violence that left his girlfriend with swollen eyes and bruising.
A deputy met with the girlfriend of 22-year-old Dylan Scott Eckerdt regarding a domestic violence incident at 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. When speaking to her, he saw her left eye was swollen, with both eyelids looking red and swollen. There was also a bruise forming behind her left ear.
The girlfriend advised that Eckerdt struck her multiple times during an incident which started near Wells Fargo and Dollar General on West North Boulevard between Third and Palmetto Streets in Leesburg. She explained he accused her of infidelity while she was visiting a friend. He then left her in that area for about an hour before returning to pick her up, the report said.
Once she got in the vehicle, he began punching her, hitting her on the side of her face and ear. She pretended to pass out to avoid further assault, as he threatened to kill her during it. Fearing for her life, she remained quiet and cried silently to avoid escalating the situation. But he continued to hit her arm, push her and verbally abuse her during the drive, which she described as “normal abusive behavior,” the report said…