A 42-year-old Darien man choked a woman during a struggle over a phone call the woman was trying to make at their home in the Avalon Darien apartment complex, police said.
Darien police described what happened with this account (including accusations not proven in court):
The woman, 40, told police that she had become upset at about 7 a.m., Monday, March 6 when the man wouldn’t let her make a phone call to a juvenile. When she went to a bathroom and tried to call anyway, the man came in, took the phone from her hand, put it in his pocket, and a struggle began.
During the struggle and argument, the man put his forearm over her neck and, at least twice, pushed the woman up against a wall. The man wrapped his arms around her neck and began to push on her head and neck. Police later observed light bruising in the area of the woman’s neck.
There were two juveniles in the home at the time. The man later took both children to school.
Police have responded to past disturbances at the same address.
The next morning, the woman spoke about the incident to someone at the Darien Human Services Department, who notified police. Police then questioned the woman.
Police arrested the man at about 3 p.m. when they saw his car entering a driveway of the Avalon apartment complex. He was charged with second-degree strangulation, third-degree assault and risk of injury to a minor.
His bond was set at $50,000 and held overnight. He appeared in state Superior Court in Stamford the next day.