A Palm Coast man is facing a domestic battery charge after a passing driver spotted him attacking a woman on the side of the road early Sunday morning.
Flagler County Deputies were dispatched to the area of Old Kings Road and Town Center Boulevard around 1:45 a.m. following a 911 report of a disturbance. When law enforcement arrived at the scene, 44-year-old Eulices Soto told deputies that he had been in an argument with the woman.
A deputy removed a knife from Soto’s back pocket and directed him to sit on the curb while investigating the incident.
The woman at the scene was frantic and crying. She reported that the dispute started inside their vehicle before they pulled over. Once out of the car, Soto pinned her to the sidewalk and began strangling her, leaving her unable to breathe for several seconds. Deputies could see red marks on her neck, a bleeding lip, and blood behind her left ear.
The driver who reported the incident told deputies she was traveling down Old Kings Road around 1:40 a.m. when she noticed two people arguing.
After turning her vehicle around to check on the situation, the witness saw Soto on top of the woman with his hands around her neck. The witness dialed 911 immediately and stayed at the scene to assist the victim.
“Clearly, this man did not get our warning last week about lowering the temperature before an argument gets overheated. This man had a knife in his back pocket and his hands around her neck. Strangling someone is not just an argument; it is a few seconds away from a homicide,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “A hero driving by ‘saw something and said something’ and likely saved this woman’s life and I thank her for calling 911.”
Soto was taken into custody for domestic battery by strangulation and booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility. Records indicate he was later released after posting a $35,000 bond.
According to authorities, Soto is currently on federal probation after serving a 17.5-year prison sentence for conspiracy to import more than one kilogram of heroin into the United States.
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