By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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A 77-year-old Florida woman arrested in 2019 after her boyfriend accused her of attacking him with a metal detector was never formally charged, court records show.
Jane Galitello was arrested after deputies from the Pasco County Sheriff's Office responded to a domestic disturbance call in October 2019, the Miami Herald reported. The newspaper said that the man told officers that Galitello had attacked him.
Galitello was arrested on suspicion of battery against a person aged 65 or older, but prosecutors declined to file a formal charge, according to court records reviewed by Newsweek.
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In a November 2019 filing, the State Attorney’s Office said that, after taking testimony under oath, it had concluded that the facts and circumstances did not warrant prosecution. The court docket shows the case was closed on November 1, 2019.
In a notarized affidavit dated November 23, 2025, Galitello’s former partner said he had physically struck her and falsely blamed her for the 2019 incident.
"I wrongfully blamed her for my actions, and she faced legal consequences for something she did not do," he said. "I fully recognize that this was unjust and was a result of my own behavior and false statements."
The man had told deputies that Galitello scratched his arm and struck him with a metal detector during an argument over a movie playing on television.
Galitello denied deliberately injuring him and accused him of previously abusing her.
Deputies recorded scratches on his arm but no visible injury where he said the detector had struck his head. They recorded no visible injuries on Galitello.
Galitello, of Port Richey, Florida, was arrested for suspected battery on a person aged 65 or over, records show. She was later released on $500 bond, but prosecutors subsequently declined to file a charge.
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Correction 7/30/26, 07:38 a.m. ET: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Jane Galitello was charged with felony battery. Galitello was arrested, but the State Attorney’s Office declined to file a formal charge and the case was closed on November 1, 2019. The article and headline have been corrected and updated to include a later notarized affidavit in which the original complainant repudiated his account.
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