Man charged with strangulation in Carbondale
Feb. 23—A 31-year-old man evicted from his apartment faces charges he choked the woman who allowed him to stay at her home, Carbondale police said.
Alex Pontosky, who is listed as homeless, was in the Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail on charges of simple assault, false imprisonment, strangulation, terroristic threats and harassment.
Shortly before 6 p.m. Monday, police responded to Krystal Oliver's apartment on the 100 block of Fallbrook Street after a report of a fight, according to a criminal complaint.
Oliver told police she allowed Pontosky to stay with her Sunday night but he was supposed to leave Monday.
Pontosky did not want to go. He also threatened to kill Oliver if she left the apartment.
While arguing, Pontosky hit her with his elbow and choked her hard enough that she felt she was about to pass out, according to the criminal complaint. Then, he grabbed her face and covered her nose and mouth to stop her from breathing, police said.
The police arrived. Patrolman William Wolfe knocked on the door, but no one answered. Captain Patrick Lawler went around to the back and saw Pontosky through a window. Lawler yelled at him, giving Oliver the chance to get away and open the front door for Wolfe and Patrolman Jeffrey Arthur, who took Pontosky into custody.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:45 a.m. Tuesday.
Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9100, x5187; @jkohutTT on Twitter.
