City man faces charges he strangled his girlfriend
Butler police arrested a city man they said strangled his girlfriend Tuesday evening during a domestic dispute at their home on Wilkes Avenue.
Stephen M. Richards, 62, is being held in the Butler County Prison on $50,000 bond. He is facing felony and misdemeanor charges.
Police said they responded to the home around 7:20 p.m. following a 911 call in which a woman could be heard screaming for help.
Officers found Richards standing on the street outside the home. He appeared “highly intoxicated,” police said. His 67-year-old girlfriend also was at the scene.
Police said they are familiar with the defendant and victim from prior domestic-related incidents.
The woman recounted that Richards returned home drunk and started to yell at her. He subsequently grabbed her by the neck with both hands, and pushed her onto the couch, she allegedly told police.
The victim stated that she was “having trouble breathing when Stephen's hands were on her neck,” according to charging documents.
Police noted that she had “faint redness” on the front and both sides of her neck.
District Judge Sue Haggerty arraigned Richards on a felony charge of strangulation and a misdemeanor charge of simple assault. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 20. Online court records did not indicate if he has an attorney.
