Man facing assault, kidnapping charges

TORRINGTON — A city man is facing charges after assaulting, choking and holding a knife to a local woman’s throat, police said.

Michael D. Truskauskas, 22, of 55 Whiting Ave., third-floor apartment, Torrington, was arrested Dec. 17 and charged with disorderly conduct, seconddegree assault, violation of a protective order — threatening/harassment/assault, second-degree threatening, second-degree strangulation, first-degree kidnapping, possession of a controlled substance — onehalf to four ounces of marijuana, possession in a school zone, possession of drug paraphernalia in a school zone and possession of drug paraphernalia, police said.

Torrington police responded to a local parking lot on Dec. 17 to find a woman sleeping in a vehicle, according to a probable cause report.

“It was immediately obvious that victim had been involved in a disturbance,” police said in the report. “(The) victim had two black eyes, with swelling around her right eye, two bruises on her left cheek, a scratch under her left ear, a bruise under her chin, a half inch open cut on her right cheek.”

The victim told police Truskauskas had assaulted and threatened her, including “throwing her around the apartment like a rag doll,” punching and choking her, and dragging and holding a kitchen knife across her throat, according to the report. He also allegedly “forcedly shaved a section of hair off her head” and pushed her down the stairs, the report said.

Truskauskas told police he did not know why the victim had bruises or a shaved head. He said the victim had forced their way into his apartment the previous evening, according to the report.

Police found clumps of hair, marijuana and paper towels with dried blood on them in connection with the case, according to the report.

Truskauskas was held in lieu of $75,000 bail and is next scheduled to appear in court Jan. 3.

According to state records, he has not yet entered a plea to the charges, which include five felony counts.