Palmerton man is charged with choking girlfriend

A Palmerton man has been charged with choking his girlfriend during a domestic dispute.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by officer Shawn Leadbetter of the Palmerton Borough Police Department:

Leadbetter was dispatched to a home in the 800 block of Mauch Chunk Road at 8:47 p.m. July 14 for a physical domestic assault in which the suspect had fled the scene after the assault.

Upon arrival, Leadbetter spoke with the victim, who said that her boyfriend, Travis Husar, 30, was drinking in the evening when he broke the window out of the basement door and attempted to break the front door of their residence.

As the victim came through the front door, Husar threw a book bag full of items at her face, causing swelling around her right eye.

Husar and the victim continued arguing on the stairs leading from the basement to the kitchen, at which time Husar grabbed her by her neck, squeezing and then lifting her up off the floor and forcefully placing her against an interior wall for several seconds.

Leadbetter observed ligature marks around the front neck of the victim that’s consistent with a person being choked, as well as bruising and swelling around her right eye and her right elbow having been bruised.

Officers searched the area for Husar, but were unable to locate him at that time.

At 10:05 p.m., Leadbetter and officer Stern were dispatched back to the home after Husar had returned to the residence.

Upon arrival, Husar was taken into custody with no further incident.

Husar faces charges of strangulation, simple assault and harassment.

He is currently incarcerated in the Carbon County Correctional Facility in lieu of $20,000 bail, and is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing Wednesday before District Judge William Kissner of Palmerton.