A Buffalo Township man is facing charges of simple assault, strangulation and harassment after an alleged altercation with two women in Jefferson Township.

According to charging documents, state troopers responded to a report of a man assaulting two women just after midnight Thursday in the 700 block of Freeport Road.

Neither the man, later identified as Harry L. Hartzell, 55, nor the two women were on the scene when troopers arrived, but they took information from a witness who said he stepped in when Hartzell allegedly began striking the women.

The witness allegedly also told troopers he heard one of the women shout at Hartzell to “get off my neck” before he broke up the altercation.

Troopers then interviewed the women at 125 Shaw Lane in Buffalo Township, which also is listed in the charging documents as Hartzell's address.

The women said at about an hour before the call to 911, Hartzell walked into the Shaw Lane home and told them their dog had been killed at his auto garage at the Freeport Road address.

The women told police Hartzell then left the Shaw Lane residence and went back to his garage on Freeport Road.The women told police they then went to recover the dog at the garage, where they discovered the dog had not been killed.When the women attempted to take possession of the dog, an argument ensued that resulted in Hartzell striking both women, according to police.One of the women told the police she has an active protection-from-abuse order against Hartzell that was violated.The documents said Hartzell placed his hands around the neck of the woman who has the PFA order, and her breathing was impeded.The other woman began defending herself against Hartzell, and he eventually stopped striking her and her companion, the documents said.Both women then left the scene and returned to their residence.Troopers reported that one woman had bruises and scratches on her neck and facial area and dried blood on her shirt from injuries inflicted by Hartzell.The other woman had bruises and scratches to one arm, her face and back.The troopers confirmed that one of the women had a PFA against Hartzell at the time of the incident.Troopers arrested and charged Hartzell, who remained in Butler County Prison on Friday afternoon on $16,000 bond.A preliminary hearing is scheduled June 23 before District Judge Sue Haggarty in Saxonburg.Hartzell has faced charges and been jailed for offenses such as driving under the influence, possession of a controlled substance, driving with a suspended license, writing bad checks and other crimes dating back to 2001, according to online records.

Harry L. Hartzell