A 55-year-old Ocala man has been arrested and charged with child abuse after he was accused of repeatedly punching an autistic boy in the parking lot of Marion County Animal Services.
On Saturday, September 7, Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Marion County Animal Services (5701 SE 66th Street in Ocala) in reference to an altercation that had occurred outside the organization. When deputies arrived, they secured the juvenile victim who was “having a physical episode by hitting, kicking, and pushing the deputies,” according to the arrest report.
Several witnesses told the deputies that the victim was seated in the back of a car at the time of the incident. According to statements from the witnesses, the victim began “screaming,” and a man, identified as James Ray McGee, allegedly grabbed the victim’s legs and attempted to pull him out of the vehicle.
The witnesses claimed that McGee repeatedly punched the victim, and he eventually stopped when the witnesses informed him that they had contacted law enforcement.
The deputies made contact with McGee. After being read his Miranda rights, McGee claimed that the victim was having a “physical episode due to his autism” when the victim allegedly began hitting his parents, who were also inside the vehicle, according to the report.
During the post-Miranda interview, McGee allegedly admitted to grabbing the victim’s upper legs to “hold him down,” though McGee denied striking the victim. According to McGee, he was a friend of the victim’s family.
An MCSO corporal noted in the report that the victim had a three-inch purple mark with a small amount of blood under his right eye, which appeared to be “fresh and swollen.”
McGee was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail, where he is currently being held on a $10,000 bond. He is being charged with child abuse – neglect of child with great bodily injury.
On Tuesday, October 8, McGee is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m., according to jail records.
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Source: ocala-news
