A 37-year-old Ocala man was arrested after he got into an argument with a pregnant victim and allegedly punched her several times.
On Thursday, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a local residence in reference to a domestic disturbance. Upon arrival, the deputy met a man, identified as Litho Rivas, who advised that he had been in an argument with the victim.
Litho Rivas
The deputy located the victim who stated that she was afraid of Rivas. According to the victim, on Wednesday at around 10:45 p.m., she was with Rivas when they began arguing about her pregnancy and other various topics.
During the argument, she stated that they were both throwing items in the shed. When the victim threw a small wooden item, she told the deputy that Rivas charged at her and began swinging his fists.
The victim stated that she crouched down and protected her head with her right arm. She claimed that Rivas punched her in the right forearm several times before he backed away and exited the shed.
The MCSO report indicated that the victim’s right arm had noticeable swelling.
The deputy returned to Rivas and asked him if any physical altercation had occurred. He claimed that the victim “came at him.” When asked to describe how she came at him, Rivas was unable to provide any further details.
Rivas stated several times that he did not place his hands on the victim. He also alleged that the victim was a drug addict.
According to the MCSO report, Rivas had yellow paint and scratches on his right and left arms. The deputy did not observe any yellow paint on or around the victim, and the deputy also noted in the report that the scratches appeared to be several days old and were healing.
Rivas told the deputy that he was unsure if the scratches were caused by the victim.
Rivas was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $1,000 bond. He is facing a felony charge for aggravated battery on a pregnant victim.
A court date has been scheduled on Tuesday, May 31 at 9 a.m., according to jail records.
