After his tenant accused him of battering her while stealing her Donald Trump lawn display flag, a landlord was jailed and charged with a felony.
Joseph Mazzara, 74, is the owner of a quaint apartment complex in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida.
On the afternoon of August 31, Mazzara reportedly paid an unannounced visit to his property.
While on the grounds, Mazzara allegedly approached one of the units that he rents to a 60-year-old woman.
As she was standing in the fenced yard on the side of her residence, when Mazzara approached her, the man allegedly shoved her out of the way so he could enter the area without her permission.
Mazzara reportedly grabbed ahold of a Donald Trump flag the woman had placed outside her apartment and took off with her banner.
When the police learned of the alleged flag swiping, they spoke with the woman and recorded that she said she was bruised from her encounter with Mazzara. She additionally explained that when he knocked her out of the way to get to the Trump flag, Mazzara left behind soil marks on her arm.
The authorities felt that the tenant had been victimized by her landlord when they surmised that he was not at the residence in an official capacity and did not appear to have a legal reason to enter her space.
Mazzara was taken into custody and incarcerated in the Pinellas County Jail on a $2,500 bond for suspicion of felony battery. The charge was elevated from what would typically result from the allegation due to a prior battery offense for which Mazzara was convicted in 2017 for choking his daughter.
If you or someone you love is suspected of an assault or battery offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.