REYNOLDSVILLE BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) – A Jefferson County man who allegedly struck a woman in the face multiple times and choked her during an altercation at a residence in Reynoldsville Borough waived his preliminary hearing in court on Wednesday.
Court documents indicate the following charges against 37-year-old Les P. Armstrong, of Reynoldsville, were waived for court on Wednesday, June 26:
– Aggravated Assault, Felony 1
– Terroristic Threats With Intent To Terrorize Another, Misdemeanor 1
– Simple Assault, Misdemeanor 2
– Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Misdemeanor 2
– Strangulation – Applying Pressure to Throat or Neck
The charges have been transferred to the Jefferson County Court of Common Pleas.
Unable to post $50,000.00 monetary bail, Armstrong remains lodged in the Jefferson County Jail.
The charges stem from an investigation into an incident that occurred in Reynoldsville Borough in late May.
According to a criminal complaint, on Thursday, May 23, Chief Troy Bell, of the Reynoldsville Borough Police Department, called Penn Highlands in DuBois and spoke to a known female victim. She reported that Les Paul Armstrong punched her several times in the face and was threatening to kill himself. She told Chief Bell that Armstrong was at her Pancoast Street residence, and she gave her permission for officers to enter the residence to apprehend Armstrong.
Emergency Room staff members told Chief Bell that the victim had severe head and facial injuries.
Chief Bell and Sergeant Murray then responded to the Pancoast Street residence and gained entry through a back door after knocking and getting no answer.
According to the complaint, they found Armstrong at the bottom of the stairs holding his wallet, two cell phones, and a knife. He was ordered to drop the weapon and was taken into custody without incident.
In a later interview with Sergeant Murray, Armstrong stated that the victim had hit him on the left side of the face and the chest, and he spat on her and hit her back. He went on to say that he attempted to restrain her to the bed “to stop the altercation,” but said she would not stop, so he hit her again several times in the face and head. He stated that after the altercation, he helped her “get cleaned up,” according to the complaint.
The complaint states that Armstrong told Sergeant Murray that he and the victim were both using methamphetamine, and he had stopped his medications a couple of days prior to the incident.
Chief Bell responded to Penn Highlands DuBois to speak to the victim. He observed injuries to the victim’s face that included bruises to both eyes with the left eye swelled completely closed and the right eye swelled, but not completely closed, swelling to the left cheek, swelling to both lips, bruising and a small gash inside her lower lip, a cut inside her top lip, and bruising to both sides of her neck just below the jawline.
According to the complaint, the victim reported that the incident began with a minor argument that escalated when she told Armstrong: “Good morning, I love you,” and Armstrong spit in her face. She said she swung her hand to hit him, and he slapped her arm away, and when she threw an empty pill bottle at him, he allegedly “rushed her” and struck her in the face 20 to 25 times and then began choking her.
The victim said following the initial assault, she was on her hands and knees and said she was going to call the police and reached for her phone, and Armstrong then rushed over again, knocked her to her side, pushed the phone away, and began hitting her in the back of the head and choking her again. She also reported that during this time, Armstrong stated “You’re dead b****” and “You’re gonna die you dumb b****,” the complaint indicates.
After Armstrong stopped, the victim was able to use her phone to text a friend, who then contacted her father to have him go to the house.
The complaint indicates that Sergeant Murray also spoke to a doctor at the hospital who advised that the victim suffered three broken orbital bones, which may require surgery, as well as a concussion.
Armstrong was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge David B. Inzana at 8:01 p.m. on Thursday, May 23.
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