Lansford man facing charges

John Bartenope, 33, of 43 Centre Street, Lansford, faces charges from an incident which took place at 7:30 a.m., Sept. 4, at his home. Charges of two counts of simple assault and harassment were filed by Officer Brian Zulic.

Here's what happened, according to an affidavit of probable cause:

Zulic was dispatched to 207 W. Bertsch St. to meet with a woman who reported she was the victim of an assault. She said her boyfriend, Bartenope, had accused her of stealing his drugs. When she denied that he allegedly struck her in the face and threw her down the steps. The woman said she fled the house and ran to a friend's house at 207 W. Bertsch St.

Zulic saw some redness on the woman's eye, which appeared to be very swollen. She also had bruises on her face and cut fingers.

Zulic asked for emergency medical services to come to evaluate the woman, but she refused treatment.

The woman came to the police station to give a written statement, which stated that she did want charges pressed against Bartenope.

Bartenope was also advised to come to the station to give police his side of the story. He did come later that day to give an oral statement because he does not know how to write. Bartenope told police he had confronted the woman about stealing drugs from him, he "snapped out" and threw her down the steps and struck her but it was only after she punched him in the face first.

Bartenope did have a bruised right eye and a scratch on his neck.