Woman dies after man punches her in Daytona Beach bar, police say

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A Daytona Beach man was arrested Saturday after police said he punched a woman in a bar, which caused her to fall and hit her head.

She died the next day.

Michael Lamothe, 35, is facing manslaughter charges.

Officers arrived at the Oyster Bay in the 500 block of International Speedway Boulevard and found the victim, Debra Jost, lying on the floor.

She was taken to the hospital where she died of her injuries.

Witnesses told police that Lamothe punched her in the face, which caused her to fall.

An officer found Lamothe and his two friends walking on International Speedway Boulevard west of Hollywood Boulevard shortly after the incident.

The men were taken into custody, and witnesses identified Lamothe as the man who punched Jost.

The witnesses told detectives that Lamothe walked into the bar, hugged the victim around her back and grabbed her breasts.

They said Jost became upset and told Lamothe to get off her.

When a man told Lamothe to leave the bar, Lamothe became combative and the two began to fight, police said.

Lamothe left the bar and returned several minutes later with another man.

When the victim tried to keep Lamothe from coming back inside, he struck her with a closed fist, police said.

Lamothe told police that he was trying to defend himself against several men in the bar and did not remember hitting the woman.

Cox Media Group