A dropped 911 call with a desperate plea for help led Marion County deputies to a bloody late-night scene Sunday, where a man was arrested for allegedly beating two victims—one of them a child—before attempting to prevent them from calling for help.
Deputies responded to the mysterious call around 12:25 a.m. when dispatchers heard an unknown voice say, “Please tell 911 to come,” before the line abruptly disconnected. Attempts to call back were met with voicemail.
About 40 minutes later, Deputy J. Nixon arrived at a residence and spotted a black crossover SUV with its parking lights on. Inside sat Jefferson Dexler Orihuen, who, according to the arrest report, was wearing a bloodstained white T-shirt and jeans. Another man, Tomas Mejia Bracho, was also present and appeared uneasy, initially hesitating when asked if 911 was needed. He eventually admitted that “an incident” had occurred and that the victims were taken to Ocala Regional Medical Center.
At the hospital, deputies found two battered victims with facial injuries. One woman had a swollen cheek, multiple lacerations, and what was believed to be a broken nose and cheekbone. The other had two black eyes and a cut lip.
According to statements, Orihuen was driving intoxicated when one victim demanded he pull over. When she attempted to take the wheel for safety, he allegedly struck her multiple times in the face. A second victim intervened, only to be assaulted as well. When one of them attempted to call 911, Orihuen reportedly took the phone, preventing them from getting help.
Back at the scene, Orihuen initially denied striking the victims but then changed his story multiple times, eventually admitting to “pushing” them in the face. Faced with photographic evidence of their injuries, he revised his account yet again.
Orihuen was arrested and taken to AdventHealth for medical clearance before being booked into the Marion County Jail on charges of aggravated battery (domestic violence), aggravated child abuse (domestic violence), and hindering communication with law enforcement.
