Sugar Heir Beats Girlfriend After Being Seated Next to Gay Couple
Alexander Nicholas Fanjul turned unruly and violent after he and his girlfriend had been seated beside a gay couple at a steakhouse.
Alexander Nicholas Fanjul has been sentenced to four years probation after pleading guilty last month to charges related to an incident in which he assaulted his girlfriend after the pair were seated next to a gay couple in a restaurant.
On January 28, Fanjul and his girlfriend were dining at the Flagler Steakhouse in Palm Beach, Florida, when the 39-year-old sugar heir became upset over being seated near a gay couple.
Fanjul allegedly became “irate” throughout the course of the meal due to their proximity to the couple. He continued to vent his frustration to the point that other diners began to take note.
Upon finishing their meal, Fanjul and his girlfriend returned to his home, still arguing over his behavior. Once inside the property on the front lawn, Fanjul’s girlfriend told him to drop the matter.
In response, Fanjul punched his girlfriend and kneed her in the face. He then ripped her purse off her shoulder, grabbed the phone and the hand in which his girlfriend was holding it, and drove them both into the ground with such force that the phone shattered.
The woman claimed that when she screamed for help, he dragged her inside the residence and tried to choke her.
Officers from the Palm Beach Police Department responded to reports of a woman screaming at Fanjul’s residence. The gate and front door were open when police arrived, with officers finding Fanjul standing over the woman, who was curled into a fetal position on the floor, according to arrest records.
The arrest report claims that the victim had bruises and redness around her neck consistent with an attempted strangulation. Additionally, chairs inside the home had been flipped upside down, carpets were out of place, and several other household items had been knocked over or thrown on the floor.
As seen in video shot by police body cameras, obtained by Law & Crime, one of the responding officers says he saw “drops and trails of blood” leading from where the victim said she was dragged.
“She’s beat up pretty good,” the officer says.
The body camera footage shows officers handcuffing Fanjul and escorting him outside. They seat him on the ground temporarily while several officers stand near him while Fanjul, who appears intoxicated, makes various statements, including asserting that he’s been “framed.”
In the video, officers can be seen arresting Fanjul, who is seen asking for water and begging, “Please don’t do this to me.”
Fanjul was charged with seven counts, including false imprisonment, petit theft, felony battery, tampering with a witness, victim or informant, battery, criminal mischief, and the possession of cocaine, according to court records. He was released on a $180,000 bail.
After months of legal wrangling, Fanjul last month pleaded guilty to charges of petit theft, criminal mischief, and felony battery. Circuit Judge James Nutt withheld adjudication on the felony battery charge, ordering Fanjul to serve concurrent probation terms of four years for the battery charge and one year each for the misdemeanor charges. He will be eligible for early termination of that four-year probation sentence if he has no new law violations after three years, according to the Palm Beach Post.
Fanjul is the eldest son of Alexander Fanjul Sr., a director and senior vice president of Florida Crystals, one of the largest sugar producers in the southeastern United States, and one of the co-owners, along with his siblings, of Fanjul Corp., a privately-held company whose subsidiaries include a number of other sugar producers, including Domino Sugar, C&H Sugar, Redpath Sugar, and American Sugar Refining.
The younger Fanjul does not work for Florida Crystals or Fanjul Corp.
A spokesperson for the family released a statement to the Palm Beach Post following Judge Nutt’s sentence.
“We thank all the parties for this resolution,” the statement reads. “Nico has been very clear that he has and will continue to focus on improving himself and being a positive influence in his community.”
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