Brownsville man facing felony kidnapping, robbery, assault charges after domestic incident
SHENANDOAH – A Brownsville man is in Schuylkill County prison, accused of strangling his girlfriend and locking her in a bedroom and threatening to kill her Thursday.
Rudy Vera, 38, of 1101 West Centre Street, is facing felony kidnapping, aggravated assault, strangulation, and robbery charges, as well as misdemeanor unlawful restraint, terroristic threats, resisting arrest, simple assault, and marijuana possession charges.
According to the criminal complaint filed by Shenandoah Police Patrolmen Mark Hysock and Cody Applegate, police were called just after 5pm Thursday by someone concerned that they hadn’t heard from a friend they said was in an abusive relationship.
That person said their friend, Carrie Valentine, lived at 1101 West Centre Street in Lower Brownsville, on the Shenandoah side of the borough line.
Police were met by a “very distraught” Valentine at the door, who said she had been “grabbed by the neck” and “drug around the house” by Vera, who she said locked her in a bedroom and swiped her phone and keys so she couldn’t seek help.
Vera, Valentine told police, also said that if the police were called, he would kill both Valentine and himself.
However, Valentine said Vera found out the friend had called the police and promptly fled.
She had visible red marks on her face and around her neck, police wrote in the complaint.
Police put Valentine in contact with Schuylkill Women in Crisis to have a protection from abuse order requested and then began searching for Vera.
They found a man matching his description in Upper Brownsville who fled when he saw the marked Shenandoah Police patrol car approaching.
Applegate and Hysock gave chase as Vera fled on foot into the woods, where he was caught.
Vera was holding onto a phone and an unknown object and refused to let go of them as officers were taking him into custody, and a struggle ensued.
Once in custody, police said they found a small baggie of marijuana on him.
At the station, police spoke to Valentine further regarding what had happened earlier.
She told police that when she woke up, Vera attempted to place his hand between her legs, and, when she refused, he became enraged, pinning her down and swiping her cell phone.
Valentine said she was then told that she was staying in the room and not leaving, and she then warned Vera that her family was instructed to call the police if she did not answer her phone because of the abusive relationship.
If police were called, Valentine recalled Vera telling her, “he was going to kill her and then himself,” officers wrote.
Vera paced the bedroom and, when Valentine attempted to leave, he struck her with a closed fist until she fell to the ground. He then dragged her onto the bed, pulled her pants off, and pinned her to the bed.
Fearful of being raped, Valentine tried to push Vera off and the man began to strike her. When she covered her face, Vera grabbed her by the neck, police said, until she grabbed and squeezed his private area.
Valentine’s phone then rang, and Vera instructed her to answer it. She refused and was then threatened with a knife, with Vera saying “if the cops get called, we’re gonna die today,” police wrote.
Vera was arraigned Thursday before Magisterial District Judge James Reiley and was committed to Schuylkill County Prison, unable to post $75,000 straight cash bail.
He will appear before Kilker in Shenandoah for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 26.
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