ORLANDO, Fla. – A man was arrested on attempted third-degree murder charges after Orange County deputies say he threw a woman over a guardrail of a second-floor balcony on Tuesday morning.
Brian Copening, 49, also faces charges of battery, false imprisonment and tampering with a witness in the incident at the West Oaks Apartments, according to deputies.
Deputies said the victim told them she was drinking wine with Copening just after midnight on Tuesday when he became intoxicated and agitated.
According to the report, Copening took the woman's keys and cellphone, grabbed her and held her down on the floor when she tried to leave. When the woman ran outside of the apartment to get help, Copening threw her over the guard rail of the second-floor balcony, which the woman was able to hold on to with one hand.
The woman was helped back over the guard rail by a witness and pulled the fire alarm for assistance, deputies said.
Copening was arrested and taken to Orange County jail.