A De Soto man was arrested Monday after he allegedly assaulted a De Soto woman in the home and kept her imprisoned in the basement for six hours.
Rico Lamont Moss, 50, of 621 Guthrie St., De Soto, was charged with domestic abuse assault-impeding flow of air/blood, first-degree harassment, obstruction of emergency communications, false imprisonment and two counts of unlawful possession of a prescription drug.
The incident occurred about 6:45 p.m. Monday at a residence in the 600 block of Guthrie Street in De Soto, where Dallas County Deputy Sheriffs responded to a report of a domestic disturbance.
The deputies made contact with the victim, who told the deputies that Moss allegedly struck her “in the eye, causing it to become swollen,” and “hit her in the mouth with his shoulder, causing her lip to be black and blue in color,” according to court records.
The victim told the deputies that Moss allegedly “strangled her by wrapping both hands around her neck” so that she “could not breath and believed she was going to die,” according to court records.
The victim told the deputies that Moss allegedly “would not allow the victim to leave the basement area and forced her by threat to stay down there for at least six hours against her will,” according to court records.
The victim told the deputies that Moss allegedly “took the victim’s phone when she wished to call 911,” and he “kept her phone from her throughout the entire assault,” according to court records.
Once Moss was detained, a search of his person disclosed a pill called paroxetine hydrochloride and a tube of Encube testosterone gel, according to court records.
Moss is held in the Dallas County Jail on a $2,000 cash or surety bond. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing April 18 in Dallas County District Court.
*A criminal charge is merely an accusation, the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
