MARATHON, Fla. – A Marathon man attacked his roommate with a baseball bat, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office says, and the victim says the beating was over a dead rodent he was keeping in their freezer to feed a pet snake.
Javier Francisco Arellano, 59, was arrested early Sunday morning and faces a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
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Authorities say the victim, a 57-year-old man, was taken to Fishermen’s Hospital and then airlifted to a Miami hospital “with injuries that required staples to his head.” He also suffered injuries to his legs, arms and hands, investigators say.
The alleged attack happened in 900 block of Camino Real Street. The victim told a detective that he stored a dead rat or mouse in a freezer to feed a pet snake, which upset Arellano.
“The victim stated Arellano approached him about the issue, but the victim stated they would discuss it later, hoping to avoid an argument,” a news release from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office detailed. “The victim stated he went to leave the room when Arellano began hitting him with a baseball bat. Arellano eventually knocked the victim down and stated, ‘I’m going to have to kill you,’ before the victim was able to flee to a neighbor’s house.”
Arellano was taken to jail, and investigators say they found about 40 firearms at the home that are being held.