A 35-year-old Leesburg woman was arrested on a domestic battery charge Sunday evening after a confrontation with her ex-boyfriend at a local 7-Eleven, even though dispatch relayed that a complainant had seen the store clerk's hands around her neck about 15 minutes before the call came in. Ashley Lynn Sunblade was booked into the Lake County Jail following the incident, which unfolded around 6:20 p.m.
According to the arrest report obtained by Leesburg-News.com, Leesburg Police Department officers responded to the store after dispatch relayed that a complainant had seen the employee's hands around Sunblade's neck about 15 minutes before the call came in. Sunblade had reportedly entered the store and gotten into a verbal altercation with the employee, her ex-boyfriend of three years, in front of the register before leaving on foot. The two had lived together for nine months, according to the report.
Officers eventually found Sunblade walking near the northwest side of the Lakeside Retreat at 27 apartments, a residential community at 1403 Old Harbor Blvd. that sits near Highway 27 and is managed by Concord Rents. Sunblade told officers she had gone to the 7-Eleven and argued with her ex, and admitted she had mushed him in the face during the confrontation. The employee reportedly yelled at Sunblade and got close to her before putting his hands around her neck, per the same account.
What the Evidence Actually Showed
Despite the initial dispatch report describing a prolonged neck hold, officers found no evidence of a struggle inside the store, and surveillance footage showed the altercation at the register was nonphysical. The employee sustained no visible physical markings, while Sunblade had visible scratches on her left arm and neck. The report notes officers ultimately charged Sunblade, rather than her ex, with simple battery domestic.
Florida law sets a notably high bar for a strangulation-related felony charge. Under Florida Statute § 784.041, domestic battery by strangulation is a third-degree felony carrying up to five years in state prison and a $5,000 fine, but it requires proving a person knowingly impeded normal breathing or circulation, according to the Sammis Law Firm. The account includes dispatch notes about hands around Sunblade's neck and reports that Sunblade was charged.
Why the Case Falls Under Domestic Violence Law
Simple battery in Florida is normally a first-degree misdemeanor under Florida Statute § 784.03, punishable by up to a year in jail, 12 months of probation, and a $1,000 fine, per the Brancato Law Firm, P.A. But because Sunblade and the employee had lived together for nine months, the case automatically falls under Florida's domestic violence statutes. Florida Statute § 741.28 defines a domestic violence relationship to include people who currently live together or have resided together in the past as a household family, according to the Orlando Criminal Defense Lawyer.
That domestic designation carries consequences that extend well beyond a potential jail sentence. A conviction for misdemeanor domestic battery in Florida requires completion of a 26- to 29-week Batterers' Intervention Program and results in a permanent criminal record that cannot be sealed or expunged, per Brancato Law Firm. Separately, Florida Statute § 741.283 mandates that anyone adjudicated guilty of a qualifying first domestic violence offense involving intentional bodily harm serve at least 10 days in county jail, according to Demmery Law, PLLC, stripping judges of discretion on that minimum sentence.
Released Ahead of October Court Date
Sunblade was released on her own recognizance following her arrest and is due back in court October 6.
The Haven is the county's local shelter and victim support organization. Domestic disputes remain part of local policing.
This latest arrest adds to a string of recent Leesburg incidents involving domestic disputes and confrontations between current or former partners, including an armed man killed by deputies during a domestic battery call last month and a homeowner who shot an unannounced intruder attempting to force entry. Sunblade is due in court on October 6.
