A Carter County man faces several charges after police say he tried to strangle his girlfriend and also attacked her sister, who tried to phone for help.
Officers of the Carter County Sheriff’s Department arrested James Siebenthal, 21, of 109 Rosenbaum Private Drive, Saturday and charged him with aggravated assault under domestic violence, domestic assault and resisting arrest.
Around 7:20 p.m. Saturday, Deputy Mark McClain, Lt. Keith Range and Sgt. Larry Vaughn of the Sheriffs’ Department and Constable Harvey Shaffer went to the home on Rosenbaum Private Drive after a 911 caller reported a domestic assault had taken place there.
Officers spoke with Siebenthal, a woman, who identified herself as Siebenthal’s girlfriend and the girlfriend’s sister while investigating the incident.
The girlfriend told officers she and Siebenthal had argued because she told him she was leaving him and he “got in her face” and became aggressive, McClain said.
“(The girlfriend) extended her arms to keep Mr. Siebenthal from running into her,” McClain said. “At this point, Mr. Siebenthal reached out with both hands and began strangling he and pushed her into the wall, breaking a towel holder.”
Siebenthal then left the home but returned a short time later and found his girlfriend’s sister on the phone with 911 and holding a bottle of liquor he had been drinking from, McClain said, adding Siebenthal pushed the woman down and took the bottle away from her.
While speaking with Siebenthal about what had happened, McClain noted he could smell the odor of alcohol on the man’s person.
“Mr. Siebenthal advised him and his girlfriend and been into it about her leaving,” McClain said. “Mr. Siebenthal stated ‘I didn’t do anything. I may have pushed her i the bathroom, but that’s it.’”
“Mr. Siebenthal did have small scratches on both arms that appear consistent with scratches caused by someone defending themselves,” he added.”
When officers tried to place Siebenthal in handcuffs he began resisting officers, but was eventually taken into custody and taken to the Carter County Detention Center, McClain said.
On Monday, Siebenthal appeared in Carter County General Sessions Court where he was arraigned. Judge Keith Bowers appointed the Public Defender’s Office to represent Siebenthal and set his bail at $1,000. Bowers also ordered Siebenthal to have “no violent contact” with his girlfriend.