A Florida teacher is in jail after reportedly barging into his ex-girlfriend’s home and assaulting her current lover.
According to a probable cause arrest document, the woman was at her Lake Wales home on Saturday when she heard a loud bang on her door. When she walked to the door, her ex-boyfriend, 51-year-old Thomas Griffin, was waiting there, wanting to know where her new lover was, according to police.
Griffin apparently pushed his way inside and began hunting for the new lover, whom he discovered seated on the couch. According to police, Griffin grabbed the man’s throat and pushed him against the wall for around 10 seconds. According to the police affidavit, the man was unable to breathe.
Griffin let go, and the victim moved away. Griffin, however, got into the man’s chest again and punched him in the face, causing the victim to fall to the ground, according to authorities.
The guy allegedly sat on top of the man and began whaling on his face. When the new lover couldn’t get free, the woman stepped in and tried to pull Griffin away, according to authorities. Griffin got up and dashed out of the home. She made a 911 call. Neither the mom nor her son were wounded during the incident.
Deputies and paramedics found the victim in “obvious distress.” They transported him to the hospital. He wore red marks around his neck.
Deputies secured an arrest warrant for burglary, battery by strangulation, and false imprisonment. They went to his house but were unable to find him. They located him on Tuesday and transported him to the Polk County Jail, where he is being held without bond.
Griffin teaches at Lake Wales’ McLaughlin Middle School, according to the sheriff’s office. Griffin was placed on administrative leave by the school system while an internal inquiry was undertaken.
“The suspect forced his way into the house and violently attacked the victim.” Griffin, as a teacher, ideally a former teacher, has a position of trust in our community that has been terribly violated. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd stated in a statement that schoolchildren should not be exposed to such potentially violent behavior.
