A Schuylkill County man was arrested last week after police say he choked a woman and struck her in the head during a dispute over their newborn child.
Police in Ashland say they responded to a residence in the 1400 block of Centre St. shortly before 8 p.m. on March 11 for a reported domestic incident. Upon arrival, the victim told police her boyfriend, Desi Knecht Jr., 25, of Ashland, choked her and hit her in the back of the head after she refused to let him take their son.
The victim, police say, was suffering from bruising on the left side of her neck and a bump on her forehead. She said her neck and head hurt and was evaluated by EMS at the scene alongside a newborn but declined further treatment at a hospital, police say.
Knecht left the home before police arrived. The victim and the newborn relocated to a family member’s home after police advised the victim on how to obtain an emergency Protection From Abuse order. Police say they searched the surrounding area for Knecht but were initially unable to locate him.
Shortly after clearing the scene, police say Knecht’s mother contacted the station to report that she had video footage of the incident and that Knecht had returned to the Centre St. residence.
Police returned to the home and took Knecht into custody. They say they reviewed the video footage and it reportedly shows the events described by the victim.
Knecht was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Stephen Bayer and charged with a felony count of strangulation, a misdemeanor count of simple assault, and a summary count of harassment. He was released on $10,000 unsecured bail and a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for April 8 before District Judge Edward Tarantelli.
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