Man charged with assaulting woman

An Albrightsville man has been charged with assaulting a woman during a domestic incident.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Trooper Joseph Richards of the State Police Fern Ridge Barracks:

At around 12:05 p.m. Nov. 3, Richards was dispatched to a home on Spencer Lane, for the report of a domestic in progress.

There, Richards saw Lehighton EMS at the scene treating the victim.

Kidder Township Police had Stephen Abendschein, 53, in custody.

Kidder police said that when they arrived on scene, the victim was hiding under the dashboard of her vehicle in the driver seat, while Abendschein was in his residence.

Kidder police said that Abendschein walked out of the front door and attempted to avoid arrest by fleeing to the south side of his residence.

Kidder police said that a struggle ensued between the officers and Abendschein, ultimately leading to the Kidder police officers deploying their Taser.

Abendschein told police he should not be under arrest, because he didn’t do anything wrong.

Abendschein said that the victim had been living with him for three days, and that she showed up on his property two hours before the incident and was trying to get into his house.

Abendschein said that he did not hit the victim, but there was blood on his right hand.

Richards interviewed the victim at the scene while she was being treated by Lehighton EMS for a cut to her left forehead and blood on her face.

The victim said that she was at Abendschein’s residence and was trying to leave. A struggle ensued and Abendschein struck her in the face with a closed fist multiple times.

The victim said she was able to get away from Abendschein by running to her truck and locking herself inside it and calling 911.

Abendschein faces charges of aggravated assault; flight to avoid apprehension, trial or punishment; simple assault; resisting arrest or other law enforcement; and harassment.

He is currently incarcerated in the Carbon County Correctional Facility in lieu of $50,000 bail, and is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Wednesday before District Judge Eric M. Schrantz of Jim Thorpe.