A Schuylkill County man faces criminal charges after police say he assaulted a woman and dragged her through a hallway of a public housing building early Saturday morning.
Police in Minersville say they were called to the Hi-Rise building on Lewis St. shortly after 1:30 a.m. Saturday for a report of a male hitting a woman in the hallway.
Upon arrival, police say they observed a broken emergency fire hose glass door and a key lanyard on the floor of the second-floor hallway. Officers located a female victim in a nearby apartment.
Police say the woman was emotional and suffering from a hematoma on her forehead. Officers noted they recognized the woman from a separate incident that occurred earlier that evening.
The woman told investigators she had returned home and checked the area to ensure James Thomas, 45, of Minersville, was not present before entering her apartment. She stated she did not lock her door because she needed to use the bathroom immediately.
At that moment, Thomas allegedly entered the apartment while the woman was on a phone call. The victim says Thomas became angered and began hitting her repeatedly.
The woman attempted to escape, but she told police Thomas grabbed her by the leg and attempted to drag her back into the apartment. A witness at the scene told police they saw Thomas dragging the woman by her legs into the hallway.
The victim was transported by EMS to Lehigh Valley Hospital-East in Pottsville for further examination.
Thomas was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli and charged with simple assault and harassment.
Tarantelli set bail at $15,000 and Thomas was remanded to Schuylkill County Prison. Court records show he’s still incarcerated. A preliminary hearing before Judge Edward Lewis (Port Carbon) is scheduled for Jan. 27.
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