SANFORD, Fla. — A Sanford man is accused of punching a juvenile girl in the face, breaking her nose, and strangling her during an argument over a cellphone, according to Sanford police.
Travell Levince Coppedge was arrested Saturday, Oct. 17, on charges of aggravated child abuse, domestic battery by strangulation and aggravated battery causing bodily harm.
Officers responded to a home on West 16th Street around 6:45 p.m. Friday after receiving a report of a battery involving a juvenile. They found the girl with a broken nose, facial bruising and active bleeding, according to an arrest report.
The girl told police the argument began in the living room. When she held her cellphone away from Coppedge, he punched her in the face, eye and nose with a closed fist, the report states.
Police said Coppedge then grabbed her neck with both hands and strangled her, leaving her unable to breathe for about 45 seconds. He took the phone and left in a black Nissan, according to the report.
A domestic violence screening indicated the girl was in a potentially lethal situation. An officer also contacted the Florida Department of Children and Families because of the severity of her injuries.
When officers later spoke with Coppedge, he agreed to an interview after being read his Miranda rights. He admitted to losing his cool and striking the girl, according to the report.
Coppedge also told officers he had been kicked and punched. Police noted that he had no visible marks or bruising consistent with that account.
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