Two Arrested In Beating Of Man, Pregnant Girlfriend

Two men with a violent history are facing aggravated battery charges for a beating Sunday night at the Shell/Circle K across from the Sarasota Memorial Hospital.

Jason Ritenour, 29, faces two counts of aggravated battery and Courtland Johnson, faces one county of aggravated battery for an altercation that sent a pregnant woman to the trauma center at Blake Hospital in Bradenton, according to Sarasota Police. The suspects were apparently intoxicated, according to police. 

The two had a confrontation after 6 p.m. Sunday at the gas station,1801 S. Tamiami Trail, with a motorcyclist, Travis Quintenz, 43. Quintenz' girlfriend, Stacy Moore, tried to step in, but the 4-foot-11-inch woman who was 6 to 8 weeks pregnant was overpowered by the 6-foot-4 Ritenour, who repeatedly punched and kicked her, according to police. 

Moore was transported to Blake Medical Center, where she is still receiving care, WWSB reported on air Monday night.

Officers identified the suspects by obtaining surveillance footage from the adjacent Exxon gas station. At 5:40 a.m., Officer Kimball was enroute to another call during the end of his 12-hour shift when he spotted Ritenour at a McDonald's, 787 S. Washington Blvd., according to police. Sgt. Jaress, who obtained a photograph from the footage, responded and observed that Ritenour matched the photograph that she obtained from the video, according to police.

Johnson was sitting with Ritenour at the McDonald's and told officers that Ritenour had told him that he had a confrontation with a biker at the Shell Station earlier that night, according to police.    

Both Ritenour and Johnson were transported to the Sarasota Police Department for additional investigation where they were subsequently arrested.

Ritenour has previous felony convictions for aggravated battery of a pregnant juvenile in 2004 in Charlotte County and a burglary charge in 2003 in Sarasota County, according to police.

Johnson has a felony conviction for felony battery in 2012 in Sarasota County, according to police.