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Ruffsdale man charged with allegedly strangling woman

By Mark Hofmann mhofmann@heraldstandard.Com 2 min read

Charges were filed against a Ruffsdale man who allegedly choked a woman during a domestic dispute.

State police charged Charles William Szabo Jr., 41, of 158 Boy Scout Road with strangulation, simple assault, harassment and various summary vehicle offenses and arraigned him before Westmoreland County Magisterial District Judge Charles Conway over the weekend.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, police were dispatched to a domestic dispute along 2nd Street in Smithton.

As the police received the radio dispatch, Szabo pulled up next to the police vehicle on a motorcycle and informed a trooper he was involved in the domestic dispute in which he’d physically restrained a woman during an argument over their relationship.

The alleged victim later told police Szabo shoved her multiple times, grabbed her by her arms to push her against a porch railing and then choked her with both of his hands.

The woman told police she was not able to breath while he was choking her.

Police observed a bruise on her left bicep and redness on her throat.

Police also checked state Department of Transportation records and found Szabo’s driver’s license was suspended and the motorcycle he was riding was not registered or insured.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Szabo before Magisterial District Judge Charles Christner at 10 a.m. Aug. 19.

Szabo is free on $100,000 unsecured bond.

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