Thief River Falls Man Charged After Assault

Thief River Falls (trfnews.i234.me) — A Thief River Falls man is facing felony and misdemeanor charges after a reported assault at a woman’s apartment in Pennington County.

Jose Maximo Martinez, 29, has been charged with felony domestic assault by strangulation and misdemeanor domestic assault. He was arrested following the reported incident.

Charges Filed In Pennington County

According to the criminal complaint, the case was filed in Pennington County District Court. Court records show Martinez is accused of assaulting a woman after dropping off their infant son at her apartment.

The complaint says the woman reported the incident on Wednesday, March 11, at about 8:06 a.m. She told authorities Martinez entered the apartment, set the child down, and then grabbed her by the throat.

She said he pushed her into a bathroom, causing her to fall. She also said he choked her and yelled at her. The complaint states he slapped her more than once during the encounter.

Woman Reported Trouble Breathing

The woman told authorities she could not breathe while Martinez allegedly choked her. The complaint says he later returned after picking up the child and again grabbed her by the neck.

Investigators reported the woman had a scrape on her left arm and redness on her neck. Photos were taken of those injuries.

The complaint also says items were damaged inside the apartment. Officers reported seeing a broken figurine on the kitchen floor when they arrived.

Recording Cited In Complaint

According to the complaint, the woman gave police an audio recording from her cell phone. She said she started recording before Martinez arrived and placed the phone in a bathroom drawer.

The complaint says the recording captured her asking Martinez what he was doing before she screamed. Authorities said the recording also included Martinez accusing her of seeing someone else.

Investigators said the audio then captured sounds of items breaking. The woman could also be heard telling Martinez to leave.

Martinez Gave Statement

Authorities later spoke with Martinez at his workplace, according to the complaint. He allegedly said the two had argued the night before about who would watch their son.

The complaint says Martinez told authorities the woman hit him in the face and broke his glasses. He allegedly said he then pushed her, causing her to stumble.

Records cited in the complaint also indicate Martinez has a prior domestic assault conviction from 2021.

Case Status And Resources

The charges remain allegations unless proven in court. More information on Pennington County court matters can be found through the Minnesota Judicial Branch’s Pennington County District Court page and the state’s case records system.

Anyone affected by domestic violence can seek confidential help through The Hotline.

I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.