By Susan Bromley

Staff Writer

A Brandon Township man who punched and pulled out clumps of his wife’s hair was arraigned on a felony charge of domestic violence, third or subsequent offense and was jailed on a $40,000 bond, no 10 percent.

Deputies responded at 2:41 a.m., June 13 to a mobile home in the 2200 block of Ironwood on complaints of a domestic violence situation. Upon arrival, the deputy was met by the victim, who was in the driveway of her neighbor’s home saying, “He won’t give me the baby.”

The suspect was holding a 1-year-old child in the driveway of the home he shared with his wife. The deputy told the man to take the children, which also includes a 6-year-old and 5-year-old, inside the home, due to it being chilly out.

The suspect then began yelling at his wife to tell the deputy how “she attacked him first.” He continued to yell and the deputy noted the man’s speech was slurred.

The suspect went into the home and the deputy spoke with the woman, who said they had a baptism party for their daughter the day before and her husband had consumed close to a fifth of liquor. She was using his phone as an alarm to wake their children up for school and when she wouldn’t give the phone to her husband, he became irate and attacked her in the living room, grabbing her by her hair so hard he ripped it from her scalp and then he forced her to stay on the ground while he hit her face into the floor repeatedly. When she broke free of his grip, she tried to run from their home and he pursued her through the kitchen to the garage and attacked her again by pushing her to the ground as she was trying to flee. She managed to get away and went to the neighbor’s house.

The deputy observed clumps of her hair falling from the right side of her head and clumps continued to fall onto her bathrobe as the deputy interviewed her. There was a large patch behidn her right ear that was bald from the hair being torn out. Bruising was also beginning to develop on the upper part

of her right ear. Her right eye and cheekbone also had bruising and swelling that was developing. Her injuries were consistent with the assault she described.

The suspect reeked of intoxicants and said he called 9-1-1 after his wife punched him. When the deputy asked the suspect to show him where he had been punched he lifted his shirt and pointed to his chest. The deputy advised him he couldn’t see any markings. The suspect then said his wife pushed him in an argument over the cell phone. His statements were inconsistent.

A LEIN check of the suspect revealed he has two prior convictions from February 2012 in Rochester Hills, as well as a third conviction dating back to May 2003, also in Rochester Hills. He was transported to the Oakland County Jail and lodged on the domestic violence charge. If he posts the $40,000 bond, he is to be monitored by pre-trial services and tested for non-prescribed drugs and alcohol. There is also a no contact provision with the victim, with the exception of one return to the address with a police escort.

Children’s Protective Services was forwarded a report and the victim who is legally married to the suspect, the father of all three children, was given a card explaining crime victim’s rights and told about various community services available. One of the resources available to victims of domestic violence is HAVEN. For more information, call the 24-hour crisis and support line at 248-334-1274, toll-free crisis line at 877-922-1274 or visit www.haven-oakland.org.