A 25-year-old Marathon man is facing burglary, battery and strangulation charges after bystanders rushed in to disarm him of a pocketknife during a domestic dispute that erupted before dawn on 110th Street. Deputies say Jikly Chantel Lopez Amaro was taken into custody following the early morning confrontation, and investigators later reviewed video footage showing him choking the victim before the crowd intervened.
According to the Tampa Free Press, deputies with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office were called to a residence on 110th Street in Marathon around 2:30 a.m. Saturday after reports of a domestic dispute. Several bystanders intervened and disarmed Lopez Amaro of a pocketknife before deputies arrived, according to an official statement from the sheriff's office. Officials reported that no serious injuries occurred during the incident.
Video Footage Corroborates Choking Allegation
Investigators noted that video footage obtained during the investigation showed Lopez Amaro choking the victim prior to the bystander intervention, per the sheriff's office statement. That evidence supports the felony charge of domestic battery by strangulation, which under Florida Statute Section 784.041(2)(a) applies when someone knowingly impedes a partner or family member's breathing or blood circulation by applying pressure to the neck. The offense is classified as a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, and a conviction also carries a mandated Batterers' Intervention Program under state law.
Lopez Amaro was also charged with burglary and battery, the sheriff's office reported. Florida Statute Section 810.02 defines burglary as unlawfully entering or remaining in a structure with intent to commit an offense inside, and that charge can escalate to a first-degree felony punishable by up to life imprisonment when an assault or battery is committed during the act — meaning entering a residence to carry out a domestic assault substantially raises the stakes of the case.
Second Weapons Arrest in Two Days for Marathon Deputies
The strangulation arrest came just a day after Monroe County Sheriff's Office deputies in Marathon arrested a 16-year-old for improper exhibition of a weapon, after the teen displayed a pellet gun during a road-rage incident on August 14. Deputies recovered that weapon from under the passenger seat during a traffic stop, according to the sheriff's office. The back-to-back cases mark consecutive days of weapon-related law enforcement responses in the small Keys city.
This is not the first strangulation case Monroe County deputies have investigated this year. Hoodline previously reported on a Cudjoe Key arrest in April, in which a 49-year-old man was accused of aggravated battery and domestic battery by strangulation after a woman was found unconscious with severe facial injuries and required emergency care at Lower Keys Medical Center.
Domestic Violence Remains a Steady Share of Keys Arrests
Domestic violence and domestic battery offenses account for roughly 8% of total per-capita criminal arrests across the Florida Keys, according to a Monroe County law enforcement analysis of municipal arrest records, though non-violent offenses like DUI and public intoxication still make up the majority of arrests locally. Statewide, the Florida Department of Children and Families recorded 106,515 reported domestic violence offenses in 2020, resulting in 63,217 arrests, and the agency notes such abuse remains underreported due to safety concerns and intimidation.
New Florida legislation that took effect July 1 established tougher statutory penalties and increased victim protections for repeat domestic and dating violence offenses statewide, as reported by WJXT News4JAX. Lawmakers focused the changes on recurring domestic violence cases and enhanced enforcement mechanisms, according to the station's report.
Resources Available for Victims in the Keys
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office maintains a dedicated Victim Advocate Unit, funded through the federal Victims of Crime Act, stationing first-responder advocates at substations across the Keys, including Marathon. Those advocates provide crisis intervention and help victims navigate the judicial process, per the sheriff's office.
Domestic violence victims in Monroe County can also reach the Domestic Abuse Shelter of the Florida Keys through its 24-hour crisis hotline at 305-743-4440, which offers emergency housing and safety planning alongside legal advocacy supported by the 16th Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office in Marathon. It remains unclear whether formal charges against Lopez Amaro will be modified by the State Attorney's Office as investigators continue processing video evidence and bystander accounts, and details on his bond conditions and upcoming court proceedings have not yet been released.
