A Bellefonte man was arrested on charges including felony strangulation after he allegedly attacked a woman following an argument.
Shortly after 4 p.m. on Friday, Pennsylvania State Police at Rockview responded to a reported assault at a residence on Valley View Drive in Benner Township. According to a criminal complaint, a woman at the home told police she had an argument with Steven Michael Willits, 46.
The woman reportedly said that when she went to the basement, Willits grabbed her from behind and forced her to the ground. He then allegedly took her cell phone and struck her in the back of the head with it.
After Willits dropped the phone, the woman reportedly said that she tried to call 911. Willits allegedly began choking her and hitting her head off the floor. She told police she was unable to breathe and that it caused her to vomit, according to the criminal complaint.
The woman allegedly begged Willits to let her go and when he did she called 911. Police observed that she had a bruised knee, scratches on her neck and blood inside of her ear, according to the complaint.
Willits was arrested at about 4:30 p.m. and allegedly told police he could not remember what happened. In addition to strangulation, a second-degree felony, he was charged with misdemeanor simple assault and summary harassment. He was arraigned before District Judge Steven Lachman and posted $25,000 bail.
At a preliminary hearing on Wednesday, charges were bound over to county court. A formal arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 1.
Gov. Tom Wolf in October signed into law a bill that made strangulation a felony offense under certain circumstances in Pennsylvania, aimed at protecting victims of domestic violence. Strangulation is considered a second-degree felony if committed against a family member or in conjunction with sexual violence.
The Pennsylvania strangulation law — the 36th of its kind in the nation — just went into effect in December.
