A 75-year-old Village of Belvedere man may avoid prosecution on a charge of domestic battery.
Sumter County sheriff’s deputies had been called March 18 to a home on Morven Park Way where a woman reported that her husband of more than 50 years, Thomas Felix Popovich, had become angry and grabbed her by the throat. He then used his forehead to strike her in the nose. She told him she was going to call law enforcement and he reportedly responded, “Go ahead.”
Popovich was released from jail the day after his arrest. He posted $1,500.
On April 13, a judge issued an order that Popovich could have “no violent contact” with his wife.
Now Popovich is being considered for pre-trial intervention. If he successfully completes the program, he could avoid prosecution in the case.