Man faces numerous charges after domestic dispute
NEW PALTZ, N.Y. >> A town resident faces drug and drunk driving charges, among others, after police investigating a report of domestic abuse at Partington Place discovered a pound of marijuana in his possession, they said Friday.
Austin D. Bayne, 33, was arrested by New Paltz police about 12:50 a.m. Friday and charged with the felonies of criminal contempt and possession of marijuana; the misdemeanors of endangering the welfare of a child, criminal mischief and drunken driving (two counts); harassment, a violation; and various traffic infractions.
Officers went to Partington Place for a report of a domestic dispute in which an order of protection was being violated, police said.
When they arrived, officers found Bayne outside of the alleged victim’s residence and, while interviewing him, noticed “signs of impairment,” the police department said. Police said Bayne told officers he had driven his car to the woman’s home from a local restaurant.
Police charged Bayne with criminal contempt after interviewing the woman. He later was asked to perform a series of field sobriety tests, and, based on his performance and the officers’ observations, he was charged with drunken driving, police said.
Police also said Bayne was involved in a property-damage accident while driving while intoxicated to the woman’s home. And once at the home, they said, he struck the woman in the presence of a small child.
During the investigation, police said, officers detected “a strong odor of marijuana” coming from Bayne’s vehicle and found more than a pound of the drug in the trunk.
Bayne was sent to the Ulster County Jail without bail.