MARATHON, Fla. — A Florida Keys man is accused of beating his roommate with a baseball bat after the victim stored a dead rodent in a freezer.
Javier Arellano, 59, was arrested early Sunday on a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Monroe County Sheriff's Office spokesman Adam Linhardt said the 57-year-old victim told detectives he had kept a dead rat or mouse in the freezer of his Marathon home to feed a pet snake, which upset Arellano.
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The victim said Arellano confronted him about it, but as he tried to leave the room to avoid an argument, Arellano began hitting him with a baseball bat.
"I'm going to have to kill you," Arellano said, the victim told deputies.
The victim eventually ran to a neighbor's house for help.
Linhardt said Arellano told deputies he was attacked by his roommate, but Arellano didn't have any visible injuries other than a scratch on his elbow.