MINNEOLA – A Minneola man was arrested early Thursday morning after allegedly punching his pregnant girlfriend in the stomach according to arrest reports.
Deputies responded to a Minneola home on Ridgecrest Loop just after 1:00 am on Thursday morning in response to a call about a domestic battery.
The caller told dispatchers that the defendant, later identified as 38-year-old Joel Cruz, “punched her and possibly has a knife”.
When deputies arrived, the victim stated that she and Cruz were in an argument because she had told him she wanted to get a roommate to help with the household expenses.
The victim stated Cruz then became angry stating that “there will be no other man to move in, he is the only man in the house”.
During the argument, the victim stated that Cruz became so angry that he punched her in the stomach knowing that she was pregnant with his child.
She also told deputies that this is an ongoing issue but has not reported it before because she was afraid of Cruz.
Cruz was arrested and charged with aggravated domestic battery. He was transported to the Lake County Jail where he is currently being held in lieu of a $5,000 bond.
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