Witness a no-show, assault suspect’s charge reduced
Eastpointe man pleads guilty to domestic violence
A felony assault suspect in Hazel Park had his charge reduced to a misdemeanor after the key witness against him failed to show up to testify.
Davonta Pryor, 23, of Eastpointe pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of domestic violence at a preliminary examination hearing Tuesday before Hazel Park 43rd District Judge Brian Hartwell.
Pryor’s bond in Hazel Park was reduced to $5,000, 10 percent.
Police said Pryor attacked his ex-girlfriend April 21 at a house in Hazel Park where she lives with a relative and a small child she had with the suspect.
The felony assault charge the suspect faced was punishable by up to
10 years in prison.
Hazel
Park police said they got a 911 call from the house after the Hazel Park woman was attacked, but the caller hung up.
No one answered the door when officers went to the house, police said.
An hour later someone at the house called 911 again, said Hazel Park Police Chief Brian Buchholz, and officers went back to the house.
The police chief told the Royal Oak Tribune earlier that the woman had injuries on her face and red strangulation marks on her neck.
Pryor had gone to the house to pick the child up when the attack happened, police said, and kicked in the door when the woman answered it.
The suspect attacked the woman inside the house, police said, and punched her in the head and stomach, and slammed her into a wall.
“He then put her on the floor and began strangling her,” Buchholz said earlier. “After that he took the victim’s cell phone and left the house.”
Police found Pryor walking on a street in the area and arrested him.
The suspect is set to be sentenced by Judge Hartwell at 11 a.m. June 8 in Hazel Park on the misdemeanor domestic violence charge.
Though the bond and felony assault charge against Pryor were reduced Tuesday, the suspect remains in Oakland County Jail.
He is being held on a $5,000 bond on a charge of assault and battery in Troy’s 52-4 District Court.
Pryor is also jailed on a total of $3,332 in cash bonds for traffic related offenses in Hamtramck, Melvindale and Eastpointe.
He has been jailed since his arrest in Hazel Park over a month ago.