DAVIE, Fla. — A Davie landlord is facing a felony battery charge after severely beating a mentally-ill tenant, according to newly-released court documents.
According to the Davie Police Department, the attack happened last Wednesday. Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies took Lennie Joseph Dufrene Jr. into custody at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Monday after authorities issued an arrest warrant.
According to the DPD warrant, police had responded to the incident location earlier on Wednesday after Dufrene, 58, called them to report that his tenant “was destroying the property.”
Officers met with both and the tenant was “later transported to a facility under the Baker Act.”
Police said Dufrene told officers that once the tenant got out of the hospital, he would “kill him.”
“Officers responded by telling Dufrene he would go to prison if he did that,” the warrant states. “Dufrene then said, ‘Okay, then I’ll just beat the s--- out of him.’”
Police said the officers told him, “You will go to jail if you do that.”
Authorities said after the tenant was released from the hospital at around 2:30 p.m. that day, he returned home to find that Dufrene had changed the code to the lock.
“Dufrene then came out of the residence and began punching (him) repeatedly in the face until he lost consciousness,” the warrant states. “(The victim) advised that he woke up face down to find Dufrene on top of him punching him in the back of the head and then began choking him. (He) said he lost consciousness again.”
The victim later left and began “roaming the area” and said he “thought Dufrene was trying (to) kill him,” the report stated.
Police said officers were sent the next day to the Wawa at 2500 Davie Road “to trespass an individual who was on the property for a long period of time and appeared to be severely beaten” and recognized the man from the initial incident, finding out that Dufrene had followed through on his threat.
The victim suffered “left side orbital floor fracture and multiple nasal fractures” from the beating, according to the warrant.
Records show a Broward judge found probable cause to charge Dufrene and issued a $15,000 bond. He no longer appeared in Broward jail records as of Wednesday morning.
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
