BY PATRICIO G. BALONA, STAFF WRITER
February 10, 2011 12:05 AM

A 75-year-old Volusia County man directed his wrath at his ex-wife by throwing a grape, hitting her in the face, a sheriff's report states.

Sebastiano Russo was jailed after deputies say he threw the small fruit at the 71-year-old woman Tuesday night during an argument about his girlfriend.

He was charged with aggravated battery on a person older than 65 and released Wednesday from the Volusia County Branch Jail on pretrial intervention.

According to a charging affidavit, Russo and his ex-wife, Claire Russo, live in the same West Holly Drive home, near Orange City. He came to the house drunk and assaulted Claire Russo with the grape, deputies said. A deputy responded to the fruit-flinging incident at 10:48 p.m.

Sebastiano Russo also threatened to kill the woman and burn down the house, the charging document states.

A witness told the investigating deputy that Sebastiano Russo sat at a table, slamming his hand on it, saying, "This is my house." He told his ex-wife he was bringing his girlfriend to the house, the report states.

When Claire Russo told him, "No, not in my house," the ex-husband threatened to kill her and then attacked her with the grape, the witness told the deputy.

A phone message left at the home Wednesday was not returned.

http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/west-volusia/2011/02/10/grape-throwing-gets-man-in-a-jam.html