Two men accused of harming a woman they had taken dancing at Spanish Springs Town Square, had allegedly threatened to take the woman to the Ocala National Forest.
It was part of the a terrifying night for a woman who was supposed to go on a date Dec. 4 with 47-year-old Daniel Stephen Turay of Howey in the Hills. Turay showed up at the woman’s home with 39-year-old Toby Best, also of Howey in the Hills.
It was explained to the woman that Best was along to drive them as Turay was unable to drive due to past drunk driving convictions. An arrest report from the Lady Lake Police Department indicated that Turay had arrived intoxicated at the woman’s home.
They had headed to Spanish Springs Town Square for an evening of dancing, but had to leave the square after getting into verbal altercations with people who were there.
When they got back into the vehicle, Best later swore at the woman and threatened to take her to the Ocala National Forest. They men held the woman against her will and later slammed her hand with the trunk lid when she tried to retrieve her purse. She was later pushed out of the vehicle, the report indicated.
She wound up at The Villages Regional Hospital with several broken bones in her right hand and required stitches to her head. After interviewing the woman at the hospital, a detective obtained arrest warrants for Turay and Best. They were taken into custody Dec. 16 and booked at the Lake County Jail. Each has since been released after posting $15,000 bond apiece
In 2011, Best had been sentenced to one year’s probation and one month and 28 days in jail after pleading no contest to two counts of battery in Lake County Court. He was arrested in 2009 and served time in jail after pleading no contest to charges of purchasing cocaine and resisting a law enforcement officer.
Tural had been arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge earlier this year. The case was dismissed in October. In 2011, a woman had sought an order of protection against him. In 2014, Tural was arrested by Mount Dora police on his third charge of driving under the influence. He was fined $2,000 and sentenced to probation.
