Man says he beat woman with a stick because he loved her

A Florida woman said she was attacked by a man who claimed he hit her because he loved her, Monroe County Sheriff's Office deputies said.

The 63-year-old victim said she was inside her apartment at Islamorada early on Sunday morning when a man identified as William Roberts, 66, of Tennessee, knocked on her back door. When she opened the door, she noticed Roberts was wearing only his underwear and a sweater he had taken from her car, which was parked outside.



The woman said she had never seen Roberts before and had no idea who he was. Sheriff's spokeswoman Becky Herrin said Roberts beat the woman with a stick he had in his hands. When she asked him why he was beating her, he told her it was because he loved her. Herrin said the woman tore his sweater during the struggle.

Roberts then backed away from her and allowed her to run back into her apartment. At that point, she called 911. Roberts was arrested a short distance away from the apartment building. He faces charges of aggravated battery and burglary of a vehicle.