Man beaten with dumbbell at Miami-Dade gym in weight-rack argument: MDSO

Emotions ran high at a Miami-Dade LA Fitness gym Wednesday, then turned violent when an argument over weights spiraled into a man being beaten with a dumbbell and chased around the facility, deputies say.

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William Gonzalez, 67, faces a charge of aggravated battery, court records show. As of Thursday night, he was in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $5,000 bond.

Around 8:20 p.m., Gonzalez and Arman Murant were working out at the LA Fitness, 9291 W. Flagler St., Gonzalez’s arrest report read. Meeting at the rack holding the dumbbells, the two men began a “heated dispute” over the equipment.

Deputies say Gonzalez grabbed a dumbbell, raised it and swung at Murant.

Murant lifted his left forearm to protect himself, but the dumbbell connected with his arm and the left side of his head, the report read.

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The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office was called. Gonzalez told deputies that while he was in the argument with Murant, he never swung a dumbbell at him.

However, deputies noted that Murant had “visible bruising and [a] bump” on the left side of his head, along with a scratch on his left arm, the report read.

An LA Fitness employee told deputies that while she did not see the alleged attack, she did watch Gonzalez chase Murant around the gym.

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