Penn Township man accused of assaulting, choking woman during argument
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A Penn Township man is charged with assaulting and choking a woman during an argument Sunday.
Tyler W. Higgs, 26, was arrested Tuesday after the woman fled his residence along the 7100 block of Mellon Road Sunday morning and telephoned police from a convenience store along Route 22.
Higgs is charged with two counts of criminal mischief and single counts harassment, simple assault, strangulation and making terroristic threats.
Officer Douglas Lewis reported the woman said she picked Higgs up at the Export Moose Social Club to drive him to his residence after work early Sunday and Higgs became angry because she was late.
The victim said, during the drive, Higgs “started kicking the windshield” of the victim’s SUC, causing it to shatter. He then grabbed the woman’s cell phone and smashed it on the dashboard.
Lewis said the woman told police the altercation intensified at his home as Higgs began choking her, “causing severe bruising to her neck area,” chasing her around the property and hitting her with a closed fist.
“There was evidence of some bleeding, abrasions and bruises to her face, arms, head and neck area,” Lewis said in court documents.
Lewis said the woman also reported that Higgs threatened to kill her.
Police said the woman was able to flee in her vehicle and contact police from the Amoco convenience store at the intersection of Mellon Road and Route 22.
The woman received medical treatment at Forbes Regional Hospital in Monroeville, Lewis said.
After police took the incident report, they drove to Higgs’ home, but were unable to locate him. He was arrested Tuesday, arraigned and released on $25,000 unsecured bond pending a preliminary hearing June 29.
Higgs’ private attorney, Louis Kober of Greensburg, declined comment.
According to online court dockets, Higgs was arrested for DUI by township police in 2018 and successfully completed the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program for nonviolent, first-time criminal offenders.