A man was arrested for strangling a woman on a sidewalk in Florida.
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies recently arrested a Palm Coast man for domestic battery by strangulation after a witness driving past ‘saw something and said something’ about a man strangling a woman on the sidewalk along Old Kings Road.
At approximately 1:45am, local deputies responded to Old Kings Road and Town Center Boulevard for a disturbance. Upon arrival, 44-year-old Eulices Soto, of Palm Coast explained that he and the victim had gotten into an argument and he had a knife in his back pocket, which the deputy took off him before having him sit on the curb.
The victim, who was crying and appeared frantic, told deputies that she and Soto had been arguing in the car and after they pulled over, Soto began strangling her on the sidewalk, according to local law enforcement. Deputies saw red marks around the victim’s neck along with blood on her lip and behind her left ear. The victim stated she could not breathe for several seconds while Soto had his hands around her neck.
The witness who called 911 stated she was driving on Old Kings Road at about 1:40am when she saw a man and a woman arguing on the sidewalk. She turned her car around and came back to find Soto on top of the victim on the ground with his hands around her neck. She immediately called 911 and stopped to check on the victim.
“Clearly, this man did not get our warning last week about lowering the temperature before an argument gets overheated. This man had a knife in his back pocket and his hands around her neck. Strangling someone is not just an argument; it is a few seconds away from a homicide,” said 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 battery by strangulation. He was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where he was later released on a $35,000 bond. According to local law enforcement, Soto was recently released on probation from Federal Prison where he had served 17.5 years for conspiracy to import over 1kg of heroin into the United States.
If you are a victim of domestic violence and need help, resources are available. In the event of an emergency, call or text 911. To report a violation or contact the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office in a non-emergency call 386-313-4911 or the Family Life Center’s 24-hour confidential domestic violence helpline at 386-437-3505.
