A Randle man faces one count of second-degree assault after he was accused of shoving his partner’s face into a bed during an argument on March 25.
The charge is considered domestic violence and punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Jeffrey M. Hill, 47, made a preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on Thursday.
During the hearing, a superior court judge set bail at $50,000, in agreement with the prosecution’s request, and entered a pre-trial no-contact order on behalf of the victim.
The judge also entered an order for Hill to surrender any weapons within his possession.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed by the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office, police reports indicate a “history of physical abuse by Hill” against the victim.
The affidavit lists Hill’s prior felony convictions for second-degree assault (domestic violence) in 2014 and bail jumping in 2004, as well as misdemeanor convictions for assault and malicious mischief — both domestic violence.
According to prosecutors, those prior domestic violence convictions involved other women. Hill has had seven warrants issued for his arrest in past cases.
A Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to Wednesday’s dispute at a trailer home off U.S. Highway 12 in Randle.
Upon arrival, Hill told the deputy he had asked his partner to leave and she had refused, so Hill contacted an employee of the trailer park to “get her to leave,” according to the affidavit.
Hill reported that the two had been having recent issues.
As the woman was “packing her belongings, an argument ensued and she began throwing his items around,” Hill told the deputy, according to the affidavit.
Hill reportedly accused the victim’s daughter of punching him in the face.
Other witnesses, including the daughter, said they had seen Hill holding the victim “down by the back of her neck with (her) head face down on the bed,” according to the affidavit.
The daughter reportedly admitted to punching Hill to get Hill “off of her mother.”
According to the affidavit, the victim told the deputy that Hill had become angry after she “grabbed an item that caused other items to fall out of a box.”
The woman said Hill then “grabbed her by the back of the neck and shoved her face down onto the bed,” the affidavit states.
She reported not being able to breathe for a few seconds.
Hill was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail at about 2:28 p.m. Wednesday.
He is scheduled to appear for an arraignment on April 2.
