Deputies said an argument over purchases taking up space in an Uber ended with a 65-year-old man being struck outside an Ocala Walmart.
OCALA, Fla. — A 60-year-old Florida man faces a felony battery charge after authorities said he struck his 65-year-old roommate during an argument over space inside an Uber outside a Walmart in Ocala.
Burton McDonald was arrested after Marion County sheriff’s deputies responded to the Walmart on Southwest Highway 200 on Oct. 17. The two men had gone shopping together and were preparing to leave in an Uber when a disagreement over the amount of room occupied by their purchases allegedly became physical, according to reports citing an arrest affidavit and jail records.
The 65-year-old man told investigators that he and McDonald lived at the same group home and had gone to Walmart to buy groceries and other items. They arranged transportation through Uber because neither man was able to drive, according to the affidavit as described in published reports. As they loaded the vehicle, the older man was attempting to fit several large plants and other purchases into the Uber.
Investigators said McDonald became upset about how much space the items were taking up. The roommate told deputies that McDonald struck him in the face during the dispute. He said he could not initially identify what had hit him but described it as something hard. Deputies who responded to the scene observed redness on the man’s left cheek, according to the reported affidavit.
The Uber driver also gave investigators an account of the confrontation. According to reports citing the affidavit, the driver said he saw the two men arguing near the rear of the vehicle and saw McDonald strike his roommate in the face with a Walmart grocery bag that contained a tub of ice cream. The driver told investigators that the 65-year-old man did not touch, push or strike McDonald.
McDonald gave deputies a different account of what happened before the alleged blow. He said his roommate had made comments toward him and nudged him in the side, according to the affidavit. McDonald also told investigators he was unhappy about how much room the other man’s purchases occupied. Reports citing the affidavit said McDonald acknowledged striking his roommate during the argument.
Deputies arrested McDonald on a charge of battery on a person 65 years of age or older. Under Florida law, a battery charge involving a person who is at least 65 is reclassified from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony. The statute says that reclassification applies regardless of whether the person accused knew or had reason to know the alleged victim’s age.
Initial reporting from WCJB and Arizona’s Family said McDonald was being held at the Marion County Jail with bond set at $1,000. Later reports citing jail and court records listed his next court appearance for Nov. 17 at 9 a.m. The existence of a bond amount does not establish whether McDonald remains in custody, and his current custody status could not be independently confirmed.
The available reports did not identify the 65-year-old roommate by name or indicate that he required hospital treatment. They also did not report a plea from McDonald or include a response from an attorney representing him. McDonald has been charged, and the allegations have not been proven in court.
McDonald’s next reported court date is Nov. 17. Further details about the case, including his plea and any additional court filings, had not been publicly established in the sources reviewed as of Tuesday.
Author note: Last updated October 27, 2026.