An Indiana man was arrested Friday after allegedly strangling his girlfriend several times in March and preventing her leaving their residence.
James Robert Nelson Chapman, 36, of 7187 N. State Road 337, Orleans, Indiana, was charged with domestic abuse assault-impeding blood/airflow causing bodily injury, false imprisonment and fugitive from justice.
The incident occurred about 5 a.m. Tuesday in the 7600 block of Office Plaza Drive, according to court records.
The victim told officers of the West Des Moines Police Department that Chapman allegedly “did strike and assault” her “in a variety of ways” and “did grab” the victim “by the throat with his hands and threw her down onto the bed while he applied pressure to her neck from over top of her,” according to court records.
The victim told the officers that she had “a hard time breathing,” and Chapman “eventually let go,” and she “ran from the hotel room,” but Chapman allegedly “followed her and again grabbed her around her neck and began applying pressure to her throat,” according to court records.
The victim told the officers that Chapman “only let her go when one of his co-workers walked out of the building,” according to court records.
The victim told the officers that Chapman allegedly “physically assaulted her several times since March 2, 2022, and that Chapman has grabbed her by her throat and strangled her at least three times,” according to court records.
The officers observed on the victim “injuries to the right side of her face and neck” and “visible bruising to her right side of her face and neck and visible swelling along her jawline,” according to court records.
The victim told the officers “that Chapman threatened her if she were to scream or try and call the police,” and he allegedly “took her phone from her at times to prevent her from
calling the police,” according to court records.
Chapman is held in the Dallas County Jail on a $5,000 cash or surety bond. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing March 29 in Dallas County District Court.
*A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
