An 81-year-old Villager was arrested after allegedly striking a woman at a country club.
Gene Richard Benton of the Village of Bridgeport at Laurel Valley was arrested on a felony charge of battery on a person over the age of 65 on Saturday night at Palmer Legends, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
Benton “got mad while they were exiting the restaurant and he smacked her in the face,” the report said. She fell to the ground and suffered a laceration on her neck. She said she’d lost her balance and did not want to see Benton arrested. She signed a waiver of prosecution.
However, two independent witnesses told deputies that they saw Benton “punch” the woman, which caused her to fall to the ground. The report did not disclose the nature of the relationship between Benton and the 79-year-old woman.
Benton was taken into custody and booked at the Sumter County Detention Center. The Newbern, N.C. native was released after posting $1,500 bond.