A Schuylkill County man faces felony kidnapping and strangulation charges after police say he abducted his ex-girlfriend, threatened to kill her, and repeatedly choked her during an hours-long assault last week.
James Senkus Jr., 41, of Pottsville, is charged with a felony count of kidnapping to inflict injury or terror, three felony counts of strangulation, and misdemeanor counts of unlawful restraint, terroristic threats, false imprisonment, recklessly endangering another person, and simple assault, along with a summary count of harassment. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
According to State Police, the incident began at about 3:30 a.m. on July 10 when Senkus arrived at a Norwegian Township apartment where the victim was staying. Police say Senkus called the victim 13 times, banged on the door, and threatened to “bang the door down”. The victim grabbed a kitchen knife for protection and opened the door to speak with him outside.
Police allege Senkus grabbed the knife from the victim, waved it around, grabbed her wrists, and pulled her to another apartment in the complex. After briefly taking her inside and dropping the knife, police say the victim attempted to walk away. Senkus allegedly screamed at her to return, grabbed her wrists again, and pulled her across a parking lot to his vehicle, pinning her against it.
Once inside the vehicle, police say Senkus accelerated at a high rate of speed and drove erratically. During the drive, police say Senkus pointed to a hill and told the victim, “that’s where your body is going to go”. He also allegedly reached under his seat and said, “I’ll put a bullet in your head,” telling the victim he was going to bury her in the ground.
Police say Senkus drove the victim to a residence on Hillside Rd. in North Manheim Township. The victim, who had no shoes or phone, complied to defuse the situation but repeatedly pleaded to be taken home. Inside, police say Senkus forcefully pulled the victim upstairs to a bedroom, screamed at her, and smacked her across the face.
Senkus then grabbed the victim by the throat, forced her to the floor, mounted her, and choked her until she could not breathe, police say. When the victim attempted to leave the room, police say Senkus choked her again, slammed her against a wall, and physically blocked the door. During the ordeal, which the victim estimated lasted up to two hours, Senkus allegedly spit in her face, kicked her in the back, placed her in a closet, and pulled her hair.
According to police, Senkus eventually took the victim outside to the car. When he stepped back inside the house, the victim fled on foot. Police say Senkus drove next to her, she got into the vehicle, and he drove her back to the Norwegian Township apartment, acting as if nothing was wrong.
Schuylkill County Crisis & Support Resources
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse or sexual violence, free, confidential, and inclusive help is available 24/7 in Schuylkill County.
- Schuylkill Hope Center (Domestic Violence): Call the 24/7 hotline at (570) 622-6220, text HOPELINE to 20121, or visit schopecenter.org. Services include emergency shelter, housing assistance, counseling, and legal representation.
- SARCC (Sexual Assault): Call the 24/7 hotline at (570) 628-2965 or visit sarccheals.org for counseling, advocacy, and healing support for survivors of sexual violence.
- Outside Schuylkill County: Residents across Pennsylvania can find their local domestic violence program at pcadv.org. You can also visit domesticshelters.org to find resources near you.
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