From staff reports
An Oil City man is facing aggravated assault charges after he allegedly strangled and punched a woman between 3 and 5 a.m. Sunday.
A criminal complaint filed through district judge Matthew Kirtland’s office said Darrell Banks Jr., 19, engaged in a physical altercation with a woman early Sunday morning at 14 E. Bissell Ave.
The woman then left for her brother’s house and asked if she could stay the night due to the assault and Banks having taken her phone, the complaint said.
The man pulled Banks off the woman, and she ran outside, according to the complaint.
Banks then chased after her and brought her back inside by pulling her hair. She was observed to have a bloody nose and bruising, the complaint said.
The woman later contacted her brother via text message and said Banks had punched her in the face while they were outside, the complaint said.
The woman received medical attention at both UPMC Northwest and UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh. Her injuries included bruising to the eyes, neck and upper lip, a fractured upper jaw and a broken nose, the complaint said.
Banks is facing felony counts of aggravated assault and strangulation and misdemeanor counts of unlawful restraint, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
He was arraigned before Kirtland and placed in the Venango County jail. Bail was denied as Banks would not comply with non-monetary conditions and is considered a danger to others, according to online court documents.
A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday in Central Court.
Banks pleaded guilty in June to a misdemeanor count of simple assault in connection with a domestic altercation in May. He had been sentenced to 24 months probation.
