Florida man accused of trying to run woman over with horse at Marion County rodeo
MARION COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida man was arrested after he allegedly threw beer on a woman and attempted to run her over with his horse at a local rodeo, authorities said.
Antonio Castillo-Ortega, 45, is facing multiple charges after the Marion County Sheriff's Office said he tried to run away from them twice.
Incident unfolds at a Belleview rodeo
What we know:
The incident began at a rodeo on SE 118th Lane in Belleview around 10 p.m. on July 5 when a woman told deputies that Castillo-Ortega tried to run her over with a horse he was riding, an arrest report said.
Multiple attempts to escape: Deputies
Deputies initiated a traffic stop near where the incident took place, but Castillo-Ortega tried to drive off before realizing a Marion County Fire Rescue ambulance was blocking the exit to the event, the sheriff's office said.
Castillo-Ortega ran into a wooded area and deputies found him getting into another vehicle on SE 36th Avenue, an arrest report said. When a traffic stop was conducted on the second vehicle, deputies said Castillo Ortega was trying to find a place to hide in the backseat.
When asked why he tried to run a woman over with his horse, he told deputies the woman was very close to him while he was on the horse, the arrest report said. He claimed the woman tried to spit on him, so he splashed his beer on her.
Castillo-Ortega was arrested on several charges, including domestic aggravated assault, domestic simple battery and resisting arrest without violence twice.
What we don't know:
It is unclear what relationship, if any, the victim had with Castillo-Ortega. Authorities have not released details regarding the current condition or location of his horse.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from the Marion County Sheriff's Office.