NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — A New Port Richey man went on a "rampage" Monday night at a local bar, Pasco County deputies claim.
According to the sheriff's office, David James Badamo, 44, hit a woman, who he was estranged from, twice in the bathroom of a bar on Ridge Road in New Port Richey. An arrest affidavit claims he then shoved the woman head-first into a wall and kicked her as she was running away.
A bar employee told him to stop, prompting him to slap the worker in the head, according to law enforcement. Investigators say when the first woman managed to lock herself in a closet, Badamo unsuccessfully tried to kick open the door before pulling it open.
Authorities claim Badamo grabbed an empty 5-gallon plastic bucket and struck the first woman. At that point, a bar customer struck him twice in the face to stop him from attacking the woman further, the affidavit says. Badamo suffered a bloody nose, but deputies say he stood back up and kept chasing the woman.
As the woman hid behind the bar, Badamo is accused of throwing 12 glass ashtrays at her, breaking the ashtrays -- along with roughly 27 bottles of "top shelf liquor," approximately 25 drinking glasses and an electronic sign. Badamo is also accused of breaking a bar stool that he allegedly threw at a patron. At that point, deputies say someone managed to restrain him until law enforcement showed up.
Deputies say Badamo claimed self-defense. According to the affidavit, Badamo said the first woman hit him in the back of the head and on the mouth while they were in the bathroom, and he was "protecting himself." He claimed the woman gave him a small cut on the inside of his upper lip, deputies said.
Investigators say the woman had a small cut on her left palm and redness around her eye.
Badamo was charged with aggravated domestic assault, domestic battery, criminal mischief and simple battery. He was taken to Bayonet Point Medical Center to be medically cleared. But, while he was at the hospital, authorities claim he tried to run away from a deputy, who forced him to the ground. At that point, deputies added a charge of resisting arrest without violence.
He was medically cleared and taken to the Land O' Lakes Detention Center.
The bar owner claims Badamo caused roughly $2,000 in damages.
10News Cares: If you or someone you know is the victim of domestic violence, there is help. Here are some signs to look for, along with resources for victims. The National Domestic Violence Hotline phone number is 1-800-799-7233. The Florida statewide hotline can be reached at 1-800-500-1119. It connects domestic abuse victims to county resources available in their area. The CASA and Pinellas County hotline can be reached at (727) 895-4912.
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