A Marion County man was arrested after deputies say he threatened his live-in girlfriend with a firearm, fired a shot inside their residence, and later discharged multiple rounds from a vehicle during an erratic drive toward Orlando.
According to an arrest affidavit from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded March 6 to a reported domestic disturbance at a residence in Marion County. When they arrived, they made contact with a woman who said she feared for her life and told deputies her boyfriend needed to go to jail.
Deputies identified the man as Jose Miguel Fontanez Cosme, 36.
The woman told deputies that on Feb. 27 she had received tax refund money, sent a portion to her daughter in Philadelphia, and kept about $500 for rent and expenses. She said an argument began after Fontanez Cosme took the money.
During the dispute in their shared bedroom, she told deputies he pulled out a black firearm with a red grip, pointed it at her forehead, and threatened to kill her. Investigators say she reported that he then fired a round into the bedroom carpet.
After the gunshot, the woman said Fontanez Cosme grabbed her arm and told her they needed to leave, taking her to a white SUV and driving toward Orlando. Although she was not physically forced into the vehicle, she told deputies she was afraid to refuse because of his earlier actions.
While still in Marion County, she said Fontanez Cosme drove erratically, traveled on the wrong side of the road, and fired multiple rounds into the air from inside the vehicle. During the drive, she told deputies he struck her in the face, breaking her nose.
Deputies reported observing swelling on the bridge of her nose and bruising beneath her eyes consistent with her account.
Investigators later searched the bedroom with the woman’s permission and found a hole in the carpet beneath a gaming chair. Deputies also located damage to the concrete subfloor and recovered bullet fragments, which they said corroborated her statement.
Fontanez Cosme denied that any physical or verbal altercation occurred and told deputies he did not own or possess any firearms, according to the affidavit.
Deputies arrested Fontanez Cosme on March 8 and transported him to the Marion County Jail.
He faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (domestic), firing a deadly missile into an occupied dwelling, false imprisonment, and misdemeanor domestic battery. He is being held without bond.
