A 34 year old man is facing a list of charges after a domestic assault around midnight near 31st and Holdrege. Lincoln Police say a 21 year old woman had attended an event with her three children and just returned home. Her boyfriend, 34 year old William Smith accused her of cheating and became violent.
Smith smashed the woman’s cell phone into her nose, threw her onto a bed, and choked her until she lost consciousness. Smith then threw the victim down a flight of stairs. She then realized that this was happening in front of her children and she started crying. Smith then took a knife and held it to the woman’s neck and threatened to kill her.
Smith then forced the woman and a shared daughter into a vehicle and drove to the 2200 block of Orchard Street. Smith then slashed a tire on a Jeep and threatened to assault the male owner.
The woman took this opportunity to get behind the wheel and drive off. She returned home, gathered her two other children, her belongings, and got back into the vehicle. She drove until she saw a Nebraska State Patrol trooper conducting a traffic stop in the 900 block of O Street and asked for help. LPD was called and took over the investigation.
Smith was located at the couple’s home and was taken into custody. Smith was booked for 2nd degree domestic assault, strangulation, use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, and three counts of child abuse. Smith was also cited for 3rd degree assault and criminal mischief for his actions toward the owner of the Jeep.
The woman suffered non-life threatening injuries and the owner of the Jeep was not seriously hurt.