Miami police say a 36-year-old man is behind bars after a domestic dispute turned violent when a woman was struck in the face with a brick earlier this year. The January 6 incident left the victim with a swollen right cheek and what appeared to be broken teeth, and she was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital for treatment. Investigators later tracked down the suspect near a northwest Miami home, where officers detained him as the case moved forward.
According to WPLG Local 10, Miami Police say officers were called out around 7:50 a.m. after a 911 caller reported a boyfriend who refused to leave a property. The victim told officers she routinely walks her child to school carrying a black baseball bat. That morning, she said she tried to break up a separate fight and swung the bat, but did not strike the suspect. Detectives allege the man, identified as 36-year-old Kevin Dell Johnson, then picked up a brick and hit her in the face. She later picked Johnson out of a photo lineup, according to the report.
Jail records show Johnson is facing one count of aggravated battery with a weapon causing great bodily harm. He was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, with his bond listed as “to be set.”
Charges and legal exposure
Under Florida law, aggravated battery is a second-degree felony that can carry up to 15 years in prison and significant fines, with tougher consequences when a weapon is involved. As outlined in the state’s Florida Statutes, aggravated battery occurs when a battery causes great bodily harm or involves the use of a deadly weapon.
Legal analysts point out that an everyday object can be treated as a deadly weapon if it is used in a way that is likely to cause serious injury, and bricks are a textbook example of that, according to commentary from Ansara Law.
Local context and resources
The FBI’s recent UCR special report on domestic relationships found that domestic-relationship violent crimes make up a significant slice of overall violent crime, with more than 11,000 domestic-relationship murder victims and about 1.1 million additional victims reported over a five-year period.
For Floridians who need immediate help, the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence operates a 24/7 hotline at 1-800-500-1119, and Miami-area services include the Coordinated Victims Assistance Center at (305) 285-5900.
Miami police say the case remains under investigation, and no court dates were immediately available. Anyone with information is urged to contact Miami Police or Crime Stoppers.
