Holiday heartache

It's called the most wonderful time of the year, but the holiday season also has a darker side stemming from an increase in domestic violence complaints.

Lake Placid Police Chief Phil Williams said that has historically been the case for law enforcement.

"Holiday seasons have a tendency to make people remember things, and sometimes those things are regrettable and they cause depression," Williams said.

That depression, compounded with holiday stress, can push people to their breaking point.

From Nov. 1 through Dec. 17, deputies with the Highlands County Sheriff's Office responded to 67 domestic disputes, according to information from Sharon Burch, law enforcement analyst for the HCSO.

Of those 67, 32 were verbal disputes only.

The figure is down from the same period last year, where deputies worked 75 domestic disputes, of which 36 were verbal only.

A number that has gone up is the amount of domestic violence injunctions requested from the Highlands County Clerk of Court's Office. From Oct. 1 through Dec. 17, 63 injunctions were granted, up from 56 for the period between Oct. 1, 2008 and Jan. 1, 2009.

From Oct. 1, 2007 to Jan. 1, 2008, 86 domestic violence injunctions were granted, according to information from the clerk's office.

The alcohol effect

Williams added that excessive alcohol consumption at holiday parties can also contribute to a rise in domestic violence.

Alcohol was reportedly a contributing factor in a Tuesday night fight that saw Sebring resident Luke Edward Binger, 19, arrested on charges of felony battery and kidnapping/false imprisonment.

Binger and his girlfriend reportedly got into an argument at their home after watching a movie and drinking an alcoholic drink called 4Loco, according to the arrest report.

The two not only argued, but also allegedly shoved one another. At one point, Binger grabbed his girlfriend by the neck, the report stated.

"(She) said while Binger was grabbing her neck, she was having a hard time breathing and began to see black," Sebring Police Officer Jeffrey Reinhart wrote in the arrest report.

Police say that on three occasions, the woman would leave the apartment, only to be grabbed by Binger and taken back inside.

"After the third time Binger took (her) into the residence, she threw the Christmas tree in front of Binger and ran into the bedroom," the report stated. "Once inside the bedroom, (the victim) locked the door to keep Binger from entering the bedroom."

The woman was able to finally leave by climbing out the bedroom window, according to the report.