A Fruitland Park woman was arrested Wednesday after initiating a physical altercation with her sister-in-law over children who had been “sexually experimenting.”
Police responded to a home on North Iona Avenue in reference to a battery in progress at around 1:29 p.m., according to an arrest report from the Fruitland Park Police Department. Upon the officers’ arrival, 52-year-old Josie Ann Atkins and her sister-in-law were in a verbal argument and separated by law enforcement.
Officers spoke with Atkins, who advised that she was informed of her grandson and nephew “sexually experimenting” on each other. Atkins went to confront her sister-in-law about the allegations, and it escalated to a verbal argument with Atkins stating she was going to call law enforcement to investigate, the report said.
Atkins stated she was slapping her hands together while she spoke to her sister-in-law, who grabbed her by the wrist. Atkins responded by striking the victim back, leading to a physical altercation. Atkins’ brother, her sister-in-law’s husband, pulled them apart and pushed her back, the report said.
Officers then spoke to the victim, who advised she came to the house to discuss the allegations with Atkins and her daughter, the report said. The conversation escalated so she retreated to her vehicle to contact law enforcement. Atkins then allegedly approached the vehicle and struck the victim.
The report stated that Atkins struck and scratched the victim multiple times, pulling her shirt and causing her to have to slip out of it to free herself. She had multiple scratches and abrasions on her neck, chest and arms, as well as tears on her shirt. Her shirt was also visibly stretched around the collar and chest area.
Due to the evidence and circumstances, Atkins was determined to be the primary aggressor. A criminal history query was conducted and revealed a previous guilty conviction for battery in March 1998, the report said.
Atkins was arrested and charged with domestic battery, second offense. She was transported to the Lake County Jail and released after posting $1,000 bond.