TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A Tallahassee woman has been arrested, accused of physically abusing her 77-year-old mother.
Sonya Handley, 46, was arrested by the Leon County Sheriff's Office on Monday.
On Monday around 3:16 p.m. deputies responded to Valley Farm Road in response to a domestic disturbance.
When deputies arrived on scene, they tried to make contact with Handley or her mother at the front door but no one answered. A deputy familiar with the residence and vehicles saw Handley's car parked on the side of the home.
Deputies continued trying to make contact with someone inside and at one point the was opened and shut quickly. They saw Handley standing inside the home in the living room area looking out the window before disappearing.
The police report states deputies made contact with the victim as she returned home from the grocery store. Deputies saw that her eye was swollen and badly bruised.
When asked by deputies how she injured her eye, she told them Handley became upset and hit her.
The victim advised deputies that she is keeping money for her grandson who is in currently in jail. She informed deputies that Handley has been forcing her to give up the money.
The day before, the victim told her grandson over the phone that Handley was forcing her to give up the money, which made him upset.
But when Handley learned about what the victim said she became upset, roughly grabbing her mother by the arm and punching her in the face and head.
The victim said the only injury was to her eye, as all the other punches were directed to the area of her head and face.
She said she was unable to advise how many times she was hit by Handley, but said she was hesitant to provide a statement initially as she did not want Handley to have any charges.
However, documents say the victim told officers "she was going to get an injunction the first chance she had due to the abuse from [Handley] and her alcohol addiction."
When deputies made their way inside the home, Handley came from the bedroom and refused several orders to turn around, becoming confrontational.
Handley was eventually detained and put into handcuffs.
Handley agreed to answer questions, saying she was unaware of any incident with the victim as she has been avoiding the home and hasn't been around her.
She said she could not remember anything that happened the previous day or where she had been.
Based on the evidence, Handley was arrested and charged with domestic battery on a person over the age of 65. She was transported to the Leon County Detention Facility.
