Man arrested for breaking wine glass on woman’s face

A 49-year-old West Palm Beach man was charged with battery Thursday after a woman flagged a stranger down for help at a Key Largo gas station.

Dean Scott Tropeano was charged with aggravated battery and resisting arrest with violence.

The female victim had blood covering the side of face and running down her neck. Staff at Mariners Hospital had to remove glass from her face and stitch the wounds closed.

The incident began when the Sheriff’s Office was notified that a woman had asked for help at the Circle K gas station at Mile Marker 99. When Tropeano went inside to get beer, she asked a passerby for help. Deputy Cody Kerns responded. He later stopped the white pickup truck that Tropeano was driving. The woman was riding passenger. The truck was stopped at a nearby hotel where the couple was staying.

Deputy Kerns ordered Tropeano out of the truck. Tropeano said blood on his shirt came from a fishing trip. Deputy Mario Fajardo responded to the scene as well. Deputy Fajardo contacted the woman who was crying. He immediately noticed she required medical attention due to the large amount of blood on her face and neck. The woman initially said she had fallen while fishing. The woman often turned her face away from Deputy Fajardo. Deputy Fajardo told the woman she was now safe. The woman responded, “Help me.”

At this time, Deputy Kerns gave Tropeano loud verbal commands as he was being physically aggressive and resisting. Tropeano pushed Deputy Kerns and tried to punch him several times. He was detained and said “nothing” when asked more questions about the woman’s injuries.

Other responding deputies found large amounts of blood and broken glass in the hotel room.

The woman told deputies Tropeano became angry with her while she was speaking to another family member on the phone. Tropeano called her and her family member sexually explicit names. He then broke a wine glass across her face. The woman said Tropeano intended to render first-aid, but first wanted to go to the gas station to get beer. She stated Tropeano has been arrested for domestic violence in the past, which was confirmed by the investigating deputies.

Tropeano was taken to jail where he remained Friday morning under no bail.

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