BSO sergeant accused of infidelity before assaulting girlfriend, affidavit says

A Broward Sheriff’s Office sergeant got into an argument with his longtime girlfriend about his alleged cheating the night he’s accused of strangling her and dragging her across his lawn, according to the arrest affidavit.

Scott Nida, a 20-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, is charged with false imprisonment, domestic battery by strangulation and touch or strike battery, Broward court records show.

Nida’s significant other of approximately 12 years told Special Victims Unit detectives the evening of Wednesday, Jan. 7, about a violent incident at Nida’s home in Pompano Beach that left her bloody and bruised, according to the probable cause affidavit obtained by the Coral Springs News.

Two days prior to the incident, Nida’s girlfriend went to his home, where she recognized the vehicle of another woman she knew, she told investigators. She said she saw that woman run through the backyard, get in her vehicle and drive away, then the couple argued about Nida’s apparent cheating, according to the document.

The day of the incident that led to Nida’s arrest, his girlfriend went to his home to get money from him, and he met her outside when they started arguing about infidelity again, detectives said.

She said she didn’t want to argue and told him to forget about it, then she said Nida grabbed her left arm to keep her from leaving, so she picked up a rock in what she described as self-defense.

She started yelling, then Nida grabbed the side of her face and neck and began to strangle her until she felt like she was going to pass out, she told detectives.

The woman accuses Nida of pushing her to the ground and dragging her across the front lawn as she tried to dig her heels in, leaving marks in the grass that detectives later spotted, deputies said.

She got away and ran toward her vehicle, but she said Nida pushed her into the passenger seat while he got in the driver’s seat and started driving as she screamed for him to let her out, according to the affidavit.

She said Nida told her he wanted to talk and apologized, but he didn’t want to let her leave until she had cleaned up the blood on her face, detectives said. He drove her back to his home, where she went into the bathroom, took photos of her injuries and sent them to an individual who is redacted from the affidavit.

The woman recounted Nida took her blood-stained shirt and gave her another shirt to wear, then he cleaned her face and told her to put on makeup to minimize the injuries, deputies said.

After she put on powder, she drove home to her daughter, and deputies responded to a domestic disturbance call and questioned the couple, according to documents.

During the interview with detectives, Nida requested his attorney, whose name wasn’t available in Broward court records Jan. 12.