A former Villages High School football standout is accused of savagely assaulting a pregnant woman in a jealous rage on Sunday.
Marion County sheriff’s deputies were called to a home in the 5900 block of SE 115th Street in Belleview and when they arrived, the woman said that 26-year-old Nigel Kashad Barker had come to her residence to confront her about talking to another man. She said Barker had texted her about coming to her house, but she didn’t believe he would because he had been trespassed from the residence in the past.
The woman said she was sitting in her living room when she heard the front door open and Barker confronted her. She said he “immediately grabbed her hair and started punching her in the face,” the report says.
The woman also told deputies that Barker “threw her to the floor and started kicking her in the back repeatedly. She said she quickly got into the fetal position because she believed Barker, who knew she was 10 weeks pregnant, was “trying to kick her in the stomach,” the report says.
The woman claimed Barker also got on top of her and started strangling her while saying, “You know I can kill you.” She said she almost lost consciousness and was afraid that she was going to die,” the report says.
The woman said someone else in the house, presumably a child, was hitting Barker the entire time to try to get him to stop. She said Barker grabbed the other person by his arm and tried to make him go to his room, but she told him to run outside to get help, the report says, adding that Barker blocked the door to keep both of them from leaving the residence.
The woman said Barker stayed at her house for about three hours and assaulted her repeatedly during that time. She said he eventually received a phone call and left the residence, so she was finally able to call 911 for help. Deputies noted that the woman had bruising on both sides of her neck, a busted and swollen lip, reddish marks on her face and scratches on her arms.
Deputies then spoke with Barker, who lives at 5940 SE 115th St. in Belleview. He claimed he hadn’t gone anywhere near the woman or her residence on Sunday, the report says.
Barker was then taken into custody and transported to the Marion County Jail, where he was charged with domestic battery by strangulation, burglary, aggravated battery on a pregnant victim, kidnapping/false imprisonment and trespassing. He was being held on $52,000 bond and is due in a Marion County courtroom on Nov. 19 to answer to the charges.
Barker is no stranger to the Central Florida legal system, having been arrested multiple times by several different law enforcement agencies since his days of playing running back and cornerback at VHS came to an end following the 2011 football season. Some of his legal woes include:
- Being sentenced to three days in jail on Aug. 19 after pleading no contest in Sumter County Court to a charge of resisting arrest.
- Being arrested in August 2018 and booked into the Marion County Jail on charges of burglary with assault or battery, domestic battery by strangulation, kidnapping/false imprisonment and obstructing justice.
- Being arrested in January 2017 in Belleview by Marion County sheriff’s deputies and charged with domestic battery by strangulation.
- Being arrested and booked into the Marion County Jail in November 2016 on an outstanding domestic battery charge.
- Being arrested in August 2016 by Marion County sheriff’s deputies on a domestic battery charge and released on $1,000 bond.
- Being eld in the Lake County Jail without bond in September 2015 after being arrested Clermont.
- Forfeiting a $3,000 bond posted in June and being sought after failing to appear in Lake County Court.
- Pleading not guilty in a Lake County courtroom to a charge of domestic battery and remaining free on $3,000 bond.
- Being arrested by Leesburg Police in June 2015 for allegedly battering the mother of his child after an argument over a packet of doughnuts.