Inset: Brandon Patrick (Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office). Background: The sheriff’s office where Patrick surrendered in Hammond, La. (Google Maps).
A man from Louisiana finds himself incarcerated after allegedly biting off part of a woman’s face, as reported by local authorities.
Brandon Patrick, 31, faces charges of domestic abuse battery causing serious bodily harm and false imprisonment, according to the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The alarming event took place late last month in Ponchatoula, a modest town near Lake Pontchartrain, approximately 50 miles northwest of New Orleans.
Officials have described the incident as a domestic altercation where the suspect “bit off a portion of a female victim’s face.”
Although the violent act against the woman reached its peak on January 27, investigators suggest the conflict began several days earlier.
“The investigation revealed that the disagreement started over the weekend, with the victim being held against her will for several days,” the sheriff’s office detailed in a press release. “The injury occurred during her attempt to escape. The victim is still receiving medical care for her severe injuries.”
On Jan. 29, sheriff’s deputies asked for the public’s help in locating the defendant, who allegedly went on the lam after the woman was able to escape and tell law enforcement about the bizarre gnashing attack.
The sheriff’s office described Patrick as “a dangerous suspect who is wanted in connection with a gruesome domestic violence case.”
Law enforcement provided identifying information as well:
Patrick is an identical twin, but has several distinctive marks and tattoos to help correctly identify him, including an old stab wound on his right hand and a left arm half-sleeve of tattoos with a house and scroll. His right arm has a full sleeve of tattoos.
The press release goes on to accuse the defendant of having affiliations with a local gang and said that he did not own a vehicle and was likely requesting transportation from strangers.
On Jan. 30, Patrick was taken into custody after surrendering.
“Patrick turned himself in to us at our Hammond substation without incident following news reports that included the sheriff recommending he do so before the victim’s family got to him before we could,” Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Ashley Rodrigue told Oxygen.com.
The relationship between the defendant and victim was not immediately clear – though the pair “were cohabitating and the captivity occurred in their shared home,” the sheriff’s office told Law&Crime.
The woman is currently recuperating, authorities said.
“The victim has been released from the hospital,” Rodrigue added, “and continues recovery in a safe location.”
The investigation is said to be ongoing and additional charges are likely in the offing, according to the sheriff’s office.
