AUGUSTA — After only a couple days of freedom, a city man is back behind bars, accused of attempting to strangle his former girlfriend when she rejected his sexual advances.
Police, responding to a complaint at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday by neighbors in a Bridge Street apartment building, reported finding both Lance K. Wallace, 37, and the woman with blood on their faces.
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If you or someone you know is being affected by domestic violence, help is available through the state’s toll-free hotline at 1-866-834-4357.
Wallace was arrested at the scene and taken to the Kennebec County jail.
He made an initial appearance Wednesday at the Capital Judicial Center on charges of aggravated assault, domestic violence assault, aggravated criminal trespass, obstructing report of crime or injury and criminal mischief, all dated Wednesday.
Judge Tom Nale set Wallace’s bail at $25,000 as requested by the prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Carie James.
Attorney Stephen Bourget, who represented Wallace as lawyer of the day, said the defense was reserving the right to argue bail until an attorney is appointed in the case.
Wallace told the judge that he could make bail if it was set at $500 to $1,000, but Nale rejected that, saying he had been inclined to raise it higher than the prosecutor suggested after reading the affidavit.
Wallace is due in court again on Feb. 12.
Nale also warned Wallace that even if he remains in jail, he is prohibited from having any contact with the victim, including by letter.
An affidavit by Augusta police Officer Aaron Paradis says a domestic disturbance was reported at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday and officers heard arguing and found broken glass as well as blood on the door jamb.
When they identified themselves as police, Paradis said a male voice said, “‘We are all set.’ The female voice yelled that she needed help.”
Paradis said Wallace was removed from the apartment and placed in a cruiser while an officer talked to the woman, who said Wallace and she had been boyfriend and girlfriend for 12 years until he went to jail two years ago.
She told police he was released three days ago and was staying with her, and she had told him he would have to stay elsewhere.
The woman told police Wallace threw her onto the bed because he wanted sex with her and she refused. The woman said he grabbed her by the throat and crushed her windpipe, so she fought back by punching and kicking and kneeing him in the groin.
She said she broke free, grabbed her 1-year-old and got out of the apartment, but Wallace followed her and took her cell phone away and stomped on it after she dialed 911.
The woman told police that she re-entered her apartment and locked Wallace out, but he broke the glass in the entry door and got in.
She told police that incident had occurred in the hours before police arrived.
Records show Wallace was sentenced in Augusta on Sept 29, 2016, on charges of escape and a probation revocation on a terrorizing conviction and ordered to serve 30 months.
It was not clear when he was released from custody, but the victim told police Wallace had been released three days earlier.
Betty Adams — 621-5631
Twitter: @betadams
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