(Citrus County, FL) Yesterday, in Judge Joel D. Fritton’s courtroom, after two hours of testimony and final arguments, 31-year-old Darien Andrew Hauter was sentenced to 20 years in the Florida Department of Corrections, after being found guilty of violating his probation on the original charges of; Burglary of a Dwelling with Battery, two counts of False Imprisonment, Felony Fleeing or Attempting to Elude, and two counts of Child Abuse.

Hauter was on pretrial release at the time of his original offense for a separate felony domestic battery case and was rearrested on July 29, 2025, by Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) deputies for Domestic Battery by Strangulation.

That day, CCSO deputies responded to a park area in downtown Inverness in response to numerous reports of a disturbance involving a male and female.  When law enforcement arrived, they were unable to make contact with the parties involved, but did identify the male as the defendant and the female as the victim.

Officials later obtained a phone number for the pair, who agreed to meet with deputies at their residence. While speaking with the victim, deputies observed the defendant’s demeanor shift, with Hauter consistently staying by the victim’s side and staring at her in what appeared to be an attempted intimidation tactic. Based on this suspicion, law enforcement separated the two.

Once the victim was safely outside of the residence and away from Hauter, she divulged to law enforcement that the defendant had accused her of cheating and had begun to physically strike and beat her. The victim stated that while attempting to leave the park area to go to the Sheriff’s Office to get help, the defendant chased her down the road, causing her to crash. At this point, the defendant jumped into the bed of the truck and forced her out of the driver’s seat. This was witnessed by the original complainant, who called into the agency’s dispatch to report the pair.

Hauter, while driving the vehicle, continued to strike the victim repeatedly before pulling over to a secluded area where he later strangled the victim unconscious. The victim indicated that the defendant woke her after being alerted that law enforcement was seeking to contact them. Hauter then instructed the victim to cover her bruises and marks with makeup before arriving to speak with law enforcement.

After observing the various injuries to the victim, officials questioned the defendant. When asked about the abnormal, visible marks on his arms, Hauter could not justify the injuries. Deputies read the defendant his Miranda warning, then Hauter invoked his rights and refused to provide a statement. Based on the injuries observed, the victim’s statement, and the independent witness statement, Hauter was arrested and charged.

The outcome of this case was a result of the diligent prosecution efforts of Assistant State Attorney Kevin Davis.

Published on 12/09/2025.