PALM COAST, Fla. – A passing motorist who witnessed what appeared to be a domestic violence attack stopped and called 911 early Sunday morning, leading Flagler County deputies to arrest a 44-year-old man accused of strangling a woman along Old Kings Road.
Deputies responded to the area of Old Kings Road and Town Center Boulevard at approximately 1:45 a.m. after receiving a report of a disturbance.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as Eulices Soto, 44, of Palm Coast.
When deputies arrived, Soto told them he and the woman had been arguing. He also told a deputy that he had a knife in his back pocket. The deputy removed the knife and directed Soto to sit on the curb.
The woman was crying and appeared frantic, according to the sheriff’s office. She told deputies that she and Soto had been arguing inside a vehicle before they pulled over.
She alleged that once they were outside the vehicle, Soto began strangling her on the sidewalk.
Deputies reported seeing red marks around the woman’s neck, blood on her lip and blood behind her left ear. She told investigators that she was unable to breathe for several seconds while Soto allegedly had his hands around her neck.
Passing Driver Turned Around After Seeing Altercation
The witness told deputies she was driving along Old Kings Road at approximately 1:40 a.m. when she noticed a man and woman arguing on the sidewalk.
She turned her vehicle around to check what was happening and, when she returned, allegedly saw Soto on top of the woman with his hands around her neck.
The witness immediately called 911 and stopped to check on the woman.
Sheriff Rick Staly credited the witness with intervening and potentially preventing the incident from becoming more serious.
“A hero driving by ‘saw something and said something’ and likely saved this woman’s life and I thank her for calling 911,” Staly said.
Deputies arrested Soto on a charge of domestic battery by strangulation and transported him to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility. He was later released after posting a $35,000 bond.
According to the sheriff’s office, Soto had recently been released on probation from federal prison after serving 17½ years for conspiracy to import more than one kilogram of heroin into the United States.