By NATASHA BRENNEMAN
Staff writer
A Lewistown man accused of several charges in connection with two domestic dispute incidents waived his preliminary hearing Tuesday in Clarion County court.
Tyler Austin Rhodes, 18, was arraigned last month following investigations by Clarion University police into the incidents on March 22 and 28. He has been charged with multiple counts of strangulation, unlawful restraint, simple assault, disorderly conduct, harassment, criminal mischief and terroristic threats.
In the March 28 incident, police said they were dispatched to Main Street Suites at Clarion University for a welfare check, according to a criminal complaint filed through district judge Duane Quinn’s office.
Police said a woman said she wasn’t OK when asked by police, the complaint said. The woman also told police Rhodes had been hitting her for some time and had punched her on the head and the left ear about two hours before police arrived, the complaint said.
While at the scene, police noticed red marks on her head, scratches behind her ear and clothing thrown around her residence, the complaint said. He computer was broken by Rhodes, and in the previous weeks he had thrown water bottles at her, punched her and thrown her to the bed or ground, according to the complaint.
In the other incident, police met with a woman who said Rhodes physically assaulted her between 10 p.m. March 21 and 3 a.m. March 22, according to another criminal complaint.
The woman told police Rhodes had become upset when he found cards and letter from an old boyfriend of the woman and began to question her about the last time she spoke to the former boyfriend, the complaint said.
Rhodes then threw the cards at the woman, and she said Rhodes became more angry and pushed her against a bed, bent her backwards and placed both his hands on her neck and started to choke her, the complaint said.
The woman said she tried to push Rhodes’ hands away from her neck when he placed his right forearm on her neck and grabbed both of her arms, the complaint said. The woman said she couldn’t breathe and began not to hear anything, according to the complaint.
Rhodes then got off the woman’s neck and she was able to get up, and at that time he pushed her in the chest, causing her to lose her balance, according to the complaint.
After things calmed down, the woman went into the bathroom and Rhodes came in and wouldn’t let her get into the shower, the complaint said. She said Rhodes got into her face and punched her in the left side of the stomach with a closed fist.
Rhodes remains in the Clarion County jail on $55,000 bail.