Melbourne police: Man put grandmother in chokehold

An 18-year-old man remains jailed after police say he put his grandmother in a chokehold, stole her cash and crashed her car.

Jacob Henry Appel was charged with battery by strangulation, elderly abuse and grand theft after Melbourne police were called Friday to a home on the 600 block of Short hills Lane to investigate a disturbance.

He remains held today on a $34,000 bond at the Brevard County Jail Complex, records show. He has no known address.

Appel was spending the night at his grandparents' house when the unprovoked attack took place, police report. The woman, described as being more than 65 years of age, suffered bruising and was bleeding on the kitchen floor after the attack, police report.

She was taken to an area hospital for treatment and is expected to recover.

Police said that the grandmother was in her kitchen when Appel grabbed her from behind and placed her in a chokehold. He then threw the unconscious woman to the floor, stole her 2014 Honda and debit card and left the area. He was later involved in a traffic crash.

He was arrested and taken to the Brevard County Jail Complex.

Contact Gallop at 321-242-3642, jdgallop@floridatoday.com or on Twitter at @JDGallop