Marathon man charged with beating ex-girlfriend, holding her against her will

A Marathon man, angry because his ex-girlfriend had obtained a order for protection against domestic violence to keep him away from her, was arrested for beating and choking her, and holding her against her will while her four children slept in the same residence.

The victim told Deputy Anthony O’Dea she heard a noise outside her apartment at 240 Sombrero Road at about 2 a.m. Sunday, then heard the voice of 19 year old Arielti Herrera outside the rear of the apartment. She said he forced his way inside, hitting her numerous times. She said over the next several hours, he locked her cell phone so she couldn’t call for help and beat her, choked her and held a knife to her chest threatening to kill her.

At 6 a.m., he forced her to drive him to 20^th Street where he works on a commercial fishing boat. He hit her again and told him if she called the cops he would kill her. He got on board the boat he works on and she drove home and called the Sheriff’s Office.

The victim told Deputy O’Dea the entire time Herrera was holding her against her will and beating her, her four children, all under the age of 7, were upstairs sleeping.

Deputy O’Dea repeatedly returned to the area of 20^th Street throughout his work day, finally catching Herrera as his boat docked shortly after 2 p.m. Herrera was charged with armed burglary of an occupied dwelling, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, domestic battery by strangulation and false imprisonment. He was booked into jail.