Domestic crimes rise during holiday
Toolbox
By Brent Curtis STAFF WRITER - Published: December 30, 2009
The Christmas holiday wasn't peaceful at a number of Rutland County homes where police arrested and charged seven people on domestic complaints over the weekend.
Everyone jailed over the weekend and arraigned Monday and Tuesday in Rutland District Court was involved with a domestic-related offense, with two felony aggravated domestic assaults, five misdemeanor domestic assaults, a misdemeanor charge of simple assault and a misdemeanor charge for violation of an abuse prevention order.
Many of the offenses took place on Christmas itself, when three people were arrested, including Arley G. Yerdon Jr., Christopher Bower and John A. Covell Jr.
Yerdon, 33, of Mount Tabor, pleaded innocent to a misdemeanor charge of domestic assault leveled against him for allegedly beating a woman at the Mount Tabor Inn on Christmas, according to a state police affidavit. Bail was set at $5,000 for Yerdon.
Bower, 37, of Rutland, pleaded innocent to misdemeanor domestic assault and simple assault for allegedly threatening his ex-girlfriend on Christmas morning and punching her father, who told police he tried to come to his daughter's aid by telling Bower to leave his property, court records said. Bower, who told police he was only trying to discuss an arrangement over custody of dogs he and the woman shared during their relationship, said the woman's father attacked him. Bail for Bower was set at $25,000.
Covell, 51, of Rutland, pleaded innocent to felony aggravated domestic assault second degree — due to a prior conviction of domestic assault — for allegedly choking a woman in her home and threatening to get a firearm to "finish her," according to court records The altercation allegedly occurred after an argument at a home in Chittenden where Covell and the woman had visited for a Christmas family get-together. Bail for Covell was set at $10,000.
Another Christmas-related dispute played out the day after the holiday when 60-year-old Forrest D. Woods and Mary Lou Trombley, 59, were jailed for assaulting one another.
Woods, of Poultney, pleaded innocent to a felony charge of aggravated domestic assault second degree — he too had a prior domestic assault conviction — and was released on conditions.
Trombley, of Rutland, pleaded innocent to a misdemeanor charge of domestic assault and was also freed on conditions.
State police say an argument that started over Forrest's hurt feelings that Trombley didn't visit during Christmas escalated into a physical altercation, with Trombley saying Forrest pushed her down causing her to strike her head and Forrest saying Trombley punched him several times in the face.
Also on Dec. 26, Rutland police arrested 18-year-old Audrey Grandchamp for allegedly violating an abuse prevention order by confronting her ex-boyfriend.
Grandchamp, who pleaded innocent to the misdemeanor charge, was released on conditions on Monday.
The final domestic dispute over the weekend took place Sunday night at 476 Brooklyn Road in Mount Tabor where Patrick W. Mullen, 40, was arrested for allegedly assaulting and threatening to kill several members of his family.
Mullen, who police say had been drinking heavily prior to the incident, pleaded innocent to two misdemeanor counts of domestic assault and was released on conditions.
brent.curtis@rutlandherald.com
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