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South side party turns violent for ex-lover
A Madison man who "freaked out" when he arrived at a party on Diving Hawk Trail on the south side last week was charged with seven misdemeanors and a felony Monday for beating his ex-girlfriend and others, and smashing property including his former girlfriend's car windows.
Cash bail of $4,000 was set for Antonio Myrland-Mejia when he made a court appearance on the charges but Dane County Court Commissioner Todd Meurer said that could revert to a signature bond when Myrland-Mejia is put into the Bail Monitoring program.
According to others who are quoted in the complaint, a party was being held in an apartment on Diving Hawk Trail when Myrland-Mejia showed up. His former girlfriend talked to Myrland-Mejia outside and told him to leave, but he responded by hitting her in the eye, leaving bruises. He then hit her a second time in the mouth, chipping her front teeth in the process. That accounts for a felony count of substantial battery, which carries a maximum term of three years and six months of combined prison and extended supervision.
Those in the apartment said the light suddenly went out, and one man said he was slugged in the back of the head with something hard, and turned to see Myrland-Mejia with a clenched fist. The victim, who is currently dating Myrland-Mejia's former girlfriend, was left with a one-inch laceration to his head.
One partygoer told police that Myrland-Mejia "has been known to cause problems at other places and that everybody basically tried to avoid him and they don't consider themselves friends with him," the complaint says.
After leaving the residence Myrland-Mejia "freaked out," another person said, and began smashing mailboxes and other items.
Myrland-Mejia is accused of punching a hole in a double-pane window, smashing out the windows of his ex-girlfriend's car with a chair, then using his own fists when the chair broke.
After police took him to jail, he allegedly called his former girlfriend from the jail and wanted to know why she would tell on him. Myrland-Mejia then blamed her for his problems and said, "Just wait until I get out," the complaint says.
Myrland-Mejia faces two counts of misdemeanor battery, one of substantial battery, two counts of criminal damage to property, two counts of disorderly conduct, and one count of bail jumping. He was out on bail on a battery charge when the party crashing occurred in the early morning hours of July 2.
