John Ott was helping his friend with something near his home when the man approached them and asked Ott for a cigarette.
Ott declined to give Alberto Felipe one of his smokes, so Felipe attacked him and bit off a chunk of his ear.
A small piece of cartilage kept the whole ear from being ripped from the man's head.
Ott tells CBS 12 in West Palm Beach, FL, "I was helping a friend out and someone decided they wanted to take a chunk out of my ear."
Felipe allegedly walked up to him and bear hugged him. That’s when he chomped down on the ear.
Ott went to the hospital to have his mangled ear stitched up.
Before this encounter, Ott says Felipe was often belligerent with him in the neighborhood.
Ott now plans to file a restraining order against his angry neighbor.
Felipe was arrested, but posted $3,000 bond and is now free.