A William Penn man is in Schuylkill County Prison after a Minersville woman said he assaulted her and trapped her inside her home earlier this month.
Court papers filed against Christopher Zukas show that he’s charged with multiple felony and misdemeanor offenses from a string of incidents in Minersville over the course of the last few weeks.
Back on May 31, the Minersville woman claims that Zukas ignored her demands that he leave her home. She told police that he was told to leave between 10-15 times that night but refused to do so.
That night, Zukas allegedly threatened to “knock her teeth out”, she told police.
Then, nearly two weeks later, on June 12, things escalated between the two.
Police were summoned to the same address by a neighbor who apparently received a message from the Minersville woman saying, “I need help. He’s here and won’t let me leave.”
Zukas had apparently trapped the woman in her attic by placing a couch in front of the door.
When police arrived at the rear entrance, the woman came running out of the residence.
Minersville Patrolman Cody Searfoss said he noticed multiple bruises and injuries to the woman as she escaped.
Injuries included a black eye, a pair of hematomas to the back of her head, bruising on her right hand, red marks on her neck and bruises and scratch marks on her back.
The woman told police the injuries were the result of Zukas punching her numerous times in the face and head and all over her body. He also allegedly scratched her back with a razor and grabbed her by the throat so hard she couldn’t breathe.
Police took Zukas into custody that night. While in custody, he allegedly admitted to police that he had “a bunch of meth” on him. A search of a Minersville patrol vehicle in which he was transported to the police station reportedly resulted in finding that meth in a baggie.
For the incident on May 31, Zukas is facing misdemeanor counts of defiant trespass and harassment.
He’s also been charged with first-degree aggravated assault, second-degree felony strangulation, and misdemeanor false imprisonment, simple assult, and drug possession after the incident on June 12.
He was remanded to Schuylkill County Prison by District Magistrate Stephen Bayer on June 12 on $20,000 bail, which hasn’t been posted. Zukas is due back in court for a Preliminary Hearing on July 9.
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