Police in Florida have arrested a woman after she allegedly threw a bucket of human feces at her landlord, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said.
Deputies were dispatched to a trailer on Reed Ellis Road in Osteen, Florida, at around 5:15 p.m. on Saturday where they discovered the victim and the suspect, identified as Joanne Mercader, with dried feces caked on her face, WKMG reported.
When deputies arrived, Mercader said the victim, her landlord, had entered the trailer and had tried to throw the bucket of feces on her as a way to evict her from the residence, an arrest affidavit stated. Body camera footage of the incident showed Mercader covered with stains on her clothing and some smears on her cheeks.
Mercader claimed there was an on-going issue between her and her landlord, as deputies attempted to understand the situation.
“I don’t know anything. All I know is you’re covered in feces, she’s covered in feces. I need you to pretend I don’t know what’s going on here,” the deputy replied.
When asked why the victim (her landlord) was also covered in feces, Mercader couldn't answer. Deputies said the suspect then changed her story, saying she blocked the bucket, which caused the contents to spill all over the victim. Mercader claims the victim then chased her into the bathroom of the residence and began smearing feces on her face until she fled to a neighbor's house, the affidavit stated.
“All I know, in a long time of doing this job I’ve never seen anything like it, OK? I’m not disputing what you’re telling me but ... she’s dripping with it, (yours) is not,” the deputy replied.
Deputies told Mercader to tell the truth and she changed her story again. This time, Mercader said she meant to grab another nearby bucket that was filled with water, but accidentally grabbed the bucket filled with human feces instead and threw it at her landlord.
The victim then apparently chased after Mercader into the bathroom, where the two fought, causing the suspect to get the feces smeared on her face.
The affidavit did not say why there was a bucket of feces inside the trailer to begin with.
Mercader was arrested on charges of battery on a person 65 or older.
Photo: Volusia County Sheriff's Office