Man Charged With Choking Girlfriend

A Highlands County man with an Okeechobee address was free Tuesday on $21,000 bail after his girlfriend called the sheriff's office and reported that he had strangled her during an argument.

Deputies arrested Bruce Yates, 28, of an undisclosed Okeechobee address, charging him with felony battery or domestic violence battery by strangulation, possession of a controlled substance (Xanax) without a prescription and possession of not more than 20 grams of marijuana.

Some time between 11:46 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13 and 12:01 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 14, deputies reported that while she was at home, she and Yates got into a physical altercation.

She told deputies that Yates choked her for an extended period, to the point that she actually vomited and could not breathe. She told sheriff's investigators that Yates then punched her in the neck.

Redness could be seen on her lower neckline and upper chest, the report stated. The victim also had scratches and redness on both shoulder blades and appeared that she had been in a struggle.

Yates was found in the home in one of the bedrooms. He told deputies they had been in a verbal argument, but insisted nothing physical had taken place. The reporting deputy noted he saw scratch marks on Yates' right shoulder that appeared to be fresh.

The victim and Yates have a child together and he lives at the residence periodically, the report stated.

After Yates was placed under arrest deputies reported they found a plastic bag in his pants pocket that contained 4.6 grams of marijuana and one yellow Xanax pill. Yates said the pot was his but claimed to have no knowledge of the pill, the report stated.