Alexander N. Fanjul (Palm Beach Police Dept.)

A 38-year-old heir to one of the largest sugar-producing companies in the country was arrested this week for allegedly beating a woman in a fit of rage brought on because they had been seated next to a gay couple at a trendy steakhouse in Florida.

Alexander N. Fanjul was taken into custody on Monday and charged with a spate of crimes, including one count each of domestic battery by strangulation, robbery, and false imprisonment of an adult, court records obtained by Law&Crime show.

Fanjul’s family owns and operates subsidiary companies such as Florida Crystals, Domino Sugar, and American Sugar Refining.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Palm Beach police responded at about 11:30 p.m. on Sunday to a noise complaint at a home in the 200 block of El Dorado Lane. The caller reported hearing a woman screaming at the address.

First responders said they opened the gate to the property and “observed a male subject, later identified as Alexander N. Fanjul, standing over a female subject” who was “on the floor in a defensive ‘fetal’ position and observed to be bleeding from the facial area.”

After separating the two, the victim, who said she had been dating Fanjul for about a year and a half, told police Fanjul assaulted her and she thought she was going to die.

The attack allegedly took place after the two had gone out to dinner at the Flagler Steakhouse in Palm Beach, Florida.

“While at dinner, Fanjul initially became irate because the two were seated next to a homosexual couple at the restaurant,” the victim said, according to the affidavit. “Fanjul voiced his frustration to (the victim) at the restaurant, becoming increasingly irate. (The victim) further stated that when the two arrived at Fanjul’s residence, Fanjul became increasingly irate and continued to speak about his frustration with the restaurant.”