A 25-year-old Centralia man has been charged with one count of second-degree assault, domestic violence, after he was accused of grabbing his former girlfriend’s throat during a physical altercation.
Ruben Lupio Jr. made a preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on Monday. He faces up to 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines for the alleged offense.
Lupio has no previous felony history.
According to court documents, on Oct. 26, a Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a report from a man who said his wife had been assaulted by her ex-boyfriend.
The deputy reportedly observed red marks on the woman’s shoulders and “two small vertical red marks on her neck that appeared by (sic) be fingernail scratches.”
The woman’s eyes looked swollen.
“(The woman) said that her throat felt funny as if it was swollen and had difficulty breathing. She said that Lupio grabbed her by the throat,” court documents state.
She admitted to drinking alcohol earlier in the day.
Court documents state that the woman said “she went to Lupio's residence to pick up their child in common, but he told her he had already dropped the child off at her residence.”
“She said that Lupio asked her to take shots with him, so she did,” court documents further state. “She said he grabbed her throat and told her she was not allowed to leave. She said he had her sit down on his mother's bed, which is when Lupio's stepfather entered the room and grabbed her shoulders, moving her out of the room.”
The woman drove home and told her husband about the incident.
She was later sent to Providence Centralia Hospital for a strangulation evaluation, where the nurse observed her injuries.
“However, during the evaluation, (the woman) gave a somewhat different version of what occurred during the incident and what led up to it,” court documents state.
The woman’s husband also seemed to give a differing account of what happened, saying that his wife told him she had been in a fight with Lupio and Lupio’s current girlfriend.
Lupio allegedly appeared confused when the deputy arrived at his residence.
“He denied there being a physical struggle,” court documents state. “Lupio's mother was contacted and said that she was home the whole night and did not hear anything physical taking place, saying she did not know (the woman) was even at the residence.”
During Lupio’s preliminary hearing, Chief Deputy Prosecutor William Halstead asked for a bail amount of $10,000, along with a no-contact order protecting the victim in the case and an order for Lupio to surrender any firearms.
Defense attorney Rachael Tiller argued for consideration of an unsecured bail, noting Lupio’s frustration with the charges. She highlighted his lack of criminal history and mentioned that he had supporters present in court.
Judge Paul Strophy agreed with the state’s request for $10,000 cash or bond and entered a no-contact order on behalf of the alleged victim, as well as a notice for Lupio to surrender firearms.
Lupio awaits an arraignment on Oct. 30. Rachel Hunt has been appointed to represent him.
