The girlfriend of a member of a prominent restaurant family in The Villages is seeking an order of protection after a violent incident last week that landed him behind bars.
The woman is seeking the court’s protection from 23-year-old Nathaniel “Nate” Andrew Suleiman, who is free on bond as he faces a charge of battery.
A hearing on the woman’s request for a temporary injunction for protection against domestic violence is set for 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 16 in front of Judge Mary Hatcher in Sumter County Court.
The woman told police that Suleiman broke her glasses by grabbing her hair after an argument erupted on their way home from Wal-Mart, according to an arrest report from the Wildwood Police Department. He then grabbed her arm and jerked her back and forth, the report said.
Police found Suleiman shortly before midnight Dec. 7 in Apartment C16 at 775 Club Wildwood, a subsidized housing complex which accepts Section 8 vouchers. The report indicated Suleiman, who lists an Ormond Beach address, has been living at the apartment with his girlfriend.
Suleiman admitted he “put his hands on her and pulled her hair,” the report said.
“(Suleiman) went on to state that he grabbed her arm hard and jerked her because he was mad and upset,” the arresting officer wrote in the report.
He is part of the Suleiman family which operates Red Sauce at Lake Sumter Landing, as well as the restaurants at Nancy Lopez Country Club and Havana Country Club. Last month, the Suleiman family cut the ribbon at the Milano Ristorante Italiano in Ocala. They took over the former Chefs of Napoli location after its founder was arrested on human trafficking charges.
Nathaniel Suleiman has no prior criminal history in Sumter County apart from four traffic tickets. Earlier this year he was ticketed for speeding in a school zone. He was ticketed for speeding in 2018 and 2016. He was ticketed in 2015 for failure to obey a traffic control device.
His cousin, 33-year-old David Suleiman, was arrested July 27, 2017 on a warrant charging him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with an altercation involving an employee at the Heart of The Villages cardiology clinic. However, the prosecutor’s office ultimately decided not to proceed with that case.
