The owner of a Villages restaurant was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center on Thursday morning after turning himself in on a warrant charging him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
David Suleiman, 31, who runs Amerikanos Grille in Spanish Springs Town Square, was booked at the jail shortly after 9 a.m. and released a few hours later after posting $2,000 bond.
The warrant was issued in connection with an incident in June in which Suleiman reportedly went to the Heart of The Villages cardiology clinic for some blood work. When staffers informed Suleiman that his medical insurance did not cover the blood work, he allegedly became enraged. He went into a reception area, picked up a computer monitor and threw it at the receptionist, causing her to fear for her safety. He then left the scene.
Law enforcement had been looking for Suleiman and when they could not locate him, a warrant was issued.
Suleiman and his family also operate Johnny Rocket’s and RedSauce restaurants in Lake Sumter Landing.
Suleiman spoke with Villages-News.com and said he had recently had open heart surgery and had gone to see his cardiologist after he began suffering chest pains.
“I asked, ‘Can I see a doctor?’ and I was told, ‘The doctor has a full schedule’,” Suleiman said.
He admitted he got “upset.”
He said that in his frustration, he simply “pushed” a computer screen at a receptionist.
He predicted the charge will be dropped.
