A Winter Springs man is behind bars for allegedly attempting to strangle his girlfriend, and for also pointing a loaded gun at her head and threatening to kill her.
Winter Springs police arrested Dean Erlandson, a Seminole County firefighter, for domestic violence after he was accused of beating his girlfriend.
According to the police report, Erlandson told police he and his girlfriend had a verbal fight over text messages sent to his girlfriend’s phone by a former boyfriend.
The woman’s story, however, differed drastically from that of the suspect’s. According to police, Erlandson held her down by her neck, pointed a loaded gun at her and said they were both going to die.
Erlandson has had run-ins with the law in the past. Just this summer in Orlando, he was arrested by police after he was accused of beating a man in a parking garage.
The suspect is being held in Seminole County Jail without bond, and has his first court appearance scheduled for Monday.
In Florida in 2010, 113,378 crimes of domestic violence were reported to Florida law enforcement agencies resulting in 67,810 arrests. Although this number seems high, in reality the number of domestic violence crimes is higher as there are those survivors of domestic violence that do not report their abusers to law enforcement officials.
Domestic violence comes in many forms and is a growing problem in this country. If you are a victim of or believe your partner may commit an act of domestic violence against you or your children, immediately contact an experienced Florida domestic violence attorney.
It is also very important to contact an experienced attorney if you have been accused of domestic violence and are innocent of the charges. The consequences of a domestic violence conviction can be quite steep, and could include mandatory jail time, permanent criminal record, forfeiture of your right to own a firearm, and mandatory counseling. Protect yourself by seeking the advice of a experienced, competent domestic violence lawyer.
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