A Carbondale man assaulted his girlfriend during a fight over their cats, police charge.
Serge Daniel Kalombo Mukendi, 19 Birkett St., left with several of the cats after the assault and refused to give them back, according to a criminal complaint.
When officers arrived at the residence, they spotted Mukendi, 21, walking toward his vehicle roughly carrying a cat, with a woman, later identified as Jamaris Roblero, following him.
When they spotted police, Roblero went back to the residence, but Mukendi got in his vehicle and started it.
According to the criminal complaint:
When officers ordered him to stop, Mukendi didn’t. Instead, he motioned officers to move out of the way. A police officer then pulled a patrol vehicle in front of Mukendi’s car to prevent him from driving away. As officers approached Mukendi, he continued to say he didn’t care about police and asked if they knew where he was from.
Eventually, he turned off the car and agreed to speak to Officer Robert Williams.
Officer Brian Rock then went into the house to speak with Roblero, Mukendi’s girlfriend. Roblero was upset and officers spotted blood on her knuckles, scratches on her neck and swelling at the top of her head. She told officers the two had been fighting “on and off” since about 2 a.m.
Most recently, she said, the two were arguing over their cats when Mukendi grabbed her and threw her toward the couch; she struck her head, causing her to feel dizzy and weak.
She said Mukendi had left with cats and put them in his car. When she went to get the cats from the car, he closed the car window on her hand.
When officers directed Mukendi to turn around and put his hands behind his back, he initially refused, but officers were eventually able to secure him in handcuffs.
He is charged with assault, harassment and disorderly conduct.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on May 21 before District Judge Laura Turlip.