A Lebanon man was taken into custody earlier this month after police say he admitted to wrapping his arm around a woman’s neck during a domestic dispute.
Police in Saint Clair have charged Rey Ordonez Martinez, 23, following an incident at a home on S. Second St. on Dec. 12.
Police were dispatched to the residence at about 2 p.m. that day for a report of a domestic incident in progress. Upon their arrival, police separated Martinez and the female involved.
Red abrasions and bruising on both sides of the woman’s neck, police say.
Martinez told police he had gone to the house to retrieve his belongings because the victim did not want him there. He alleged that while he was gathering his items, the victim’s dogs attacked him and a physical altercation broke out.
Police said Martinez admitted that during the struggle, he grabbed the victim by the neck. When asked specifically how he grabbed her, Martinez told officers he wrapped his arm around her for approximately one to two minutes.
The victim reportedly told police the conflict had been an ongoing issue since the previous night. She stated she was changing the locks on the house when Martinez entered the room and began putting his hands on her.
She further alleged Martinez choked her, pushed her around, and at one point restrained her arms behind her back, preventing her from moving while telling her to calm down.
She also reportedly told police that while she did not lose consciousness during the most recent incident, she had lost consciousness the previous night. The victim alleged Martinez choked her with both hands in the bathroom the night prior, and stated that most of the marks on her neck were from that earlier incident.
Police charged Ordonez Martinez with felony strangulation, misdemeanor counts of unlawful restraint and simple assault, as well as a summary count of harassment.
Ordonez Martinez was arraigned before Magisterial Districdt Judge AJ Serina on Dec. 12. Serina set bail at $10,000 and Ordonez Martinez was sent to Schuylkill County Prison. He stayed there until Dec. 17, when bond was posted.
A preliminary hearing before Judge Edward Lewis (Port Carbon) is scheduled for Feb. 10, 2026.
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