Man accused of beating, strangling wife

The Superior Court has imposed a $20,000 cash bail on a local business owner who is accused of brutally beating a woman by strangling her and dragging her by the hair.

Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph Camacho imposed yesterday a $20,000 cash bail on 6ICK7ERO tattoo shop owner Walter A. Florencio for allegedly beating his wife and strangling her.

Florencio, 29, is facing charges of strangulation, assault and battery to include domestic violence, and disturbing the peace to include domestic violence.

Following his bail hearing, Florencio was remanded back to Department of Corrections custody. He was ordered to return to court on Feb. 17, for a preliminary hearing while his arraignment was set for March 6.

Florencio is currently represented by assistant public defender Emily Thomsen, while assistant attorney general Dejon Redd serves as the prosecutor for this case.

According to court documents, the victim’s mother, who reported the incident to police last Feb. 11, told responding Department of Public Safety officer Gerald Flores that Florencio constantly beats her daughter.

Later, the victim approached Flores to give her side of the story. Flores said he observed bruises on the woman’s throat, a red bump under her left eye, scratches on her back by her right shoulder, and bleeding on her right ankle. He added that the right side of the woman’s face was swollen.

In an interview with police, the victim stated that she caught Florencio sending messages to other girls and when she asked him about it, he denied everything and got angry. She said Florencio shoved and pushed her away, and kicked her twice in the leg.

The victim also told Flores that Florencio tried to strangle her. She claims he also gripped her hair multiple times, dragged her down to the ground, and slapped her repeatedly.

Later, Florencio, in what court records describe as a “freely given statement to the police,” said that he and his wife got into an argument in the early hours of Feb. 11, around 4am about him messaging other girls on social media. He said that they went back to sleep after settling the argument.

Later that day when they woke up, he decided to watch a movie with his son because his wife was working and she gave them some money for the movie. Florencio said he and his son watched a movie, then bought dinner and went home.

Later, when he tried to leave their house, Florencio claims his wife held him back, which caused him to push her away. He added that he pulled her hair so she would move away from the door so he could leave.

Florencio said when he tried to go to the restroom to get away from her, she kept following him while pulling his shirt to stop him.

He said he shoved her and opened the screen door, not knowing she would still follow him. He said it was the screen door that scratched her feet.