Police: Man tried to throw girlfriend off balcony

NORWALK — A 22-yearold Torrington man assaulted his girlfriend and tried to throw her over a third-floor balcony after she tried to leave a party early on Christmas morning, police said.

Mario Pimentel, of Maplewood Avenue, was charged with third-degree assault, third-degree strangulation and second-degree threatening.

Police were alerted to the incident around 4 a.m. Christmas morning when a 9-1-1 call was terminated prematurely. Before the hangup, dispatchers said they heard a woman crying on the line, and traced the call back to Roodner Court apartment building 16.

At the scene, police learned that Pimentel and the victim had been attending a party at the residence. The woman told police she had fallen asleep during the party, and tried to leave after waking up. She said Pimentel, however, was not happy with her decision.

She told police Pimentel grabbed her as she tried to leave, threw her up against the door and began to choke her with both his hands. A third party tried to separate the two, police said, but not before Pimentel punched her, shoved her to the ground and continued punching her.

As the woman rose from the ground, police said, Pimentel threatened to kill her. Police said that when she tried to leave again, Pimentel grabbed her by the hair, dragged her to balcony railing and attempted to throw her over, but was stopped by a third party. At this point, the woman managed to flee the scene and contact police.

Pimentel was not at the scene by the time police arrived. A warrant was later obtained for his arrest.

On Thursday, Pimentel was arrested as he attended a hearing for an unrelated incident at the Stamford courthouse. He was held on $200,000 bond and given a court date of Friday.