CLEARFIELD – A Clearfield man is being accused of forcing his way inside a home and assaulting a woman.
Zachary D. Tibbens, 24, is charged by Officer Austin Miller of the Clearfield Borough police with felony criminal trespass and misdemeanor strangulation, simple assault and terroristic threats, plus related offenses.
Tibbens waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday during centralized court. His bail is set at $25,000 monetary.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, police were dispatched to a Turnpike Avenue residence at 3:26 p.m. March 26 because a female could be heard screaming for help.
The caller told the dispatcher that he could also hear the female screaming, “get off of me.” Then, he heard a male yelling back: “what did I do?”
He said when he looked up at the center window located on the west side of the residence, he observed the blinds being “thrown around.”
Miller, along with Officers David Hoover and Ethan Fritz, arrived on-scene but were unable to hear any screaming. After knocking on the door multiple times, no one answered and police cleared.
Around 4:18 p.m., a witness contacted 911 to provide further information. She said she was contacted by the victim who told her Tibbens forced his way inside the residence and beat her up.
Afterwards, she said the victim told her that Tibbens neither allowed her to leave, nor to answer the door when officers arrived on-scene. Later, Tibbens fled from the residence.
Police were provided a physical description of Tibbens, and Hoover and Fritz searched the area for him. At one point, Hoover observed Tibbens walking east on Nichols Street.
When Tibbens noticed Hoover, he approached a random residence and knocked on the door. He asked a male for a phone charger and cigarette; the resident went back inside and shut the door.
Hoover was able to make contact with Tibbens and Miller spoke with the victim who was extremely upset and crying uncontrollably over what happened.
The victim said she and Tibbens had dated previously, and Tibbens contacted her that day asking to meet up or to come over. She said she told him “no” and “it’s not happening.”
A short time later, she said he showed up pounding on the door, and when she cracked it open, she saw Tibbens. She said she told him she didn’t want to be with him and he wasn’t allowed there.
She said Tibbens proceeded to push the door open so she stepped away, and that she suspected Tibbens was under the influence of a controlled substance.
She admitted to Miller that she had consensual sexual relations with Tibbens, but only because she feared what he might do if she refused.
She said that Tibbens can be “unpredictable,” especially when he’s under the influence. After this, she said Tibbens tried to take her phone from her.
The victim said Tibbens wanted to see the contents of her phone, and commented he planned to smash it. When she told him that she wasn’t giving him her phone, she said he became very angry.
While she was lying on the bed, she said Tibbens grabbed her left ankle, and pulled her towards him. He then allegedly choked her with both hands until she felt like she’d pass out.
She told Miller that her whole body became numb and she began to feel warm. She said she fought back against Tibbens and struck him in the nose with her left fist.
The victim said she was eventually able to get up and run into the bathroom where she opened the window and screamed for help. However, Tibbens reportedly came in and shut the window
She said she managed to text a friend and called her friend’s father. While she was on the phone, she said Tibbens grabbed her hand and pushed it downwards.
She said she screamed at Tibbens to “get off her,” and a short time later, the police showed up at the residence.
However, she said Tibbens wouldn’t let her answer the door, threatening that “if you put me in prison, I’ll put you in the morgue.”
The victim said after police cleared the scene, Tibbens fled. While he spoke with her, Miller reportedly observed a red mark on the left side of her neck as well as a small cut on her left elbow.
When Miller spoke with Tibbens, he saw scratches on his neck and that his nose was red in color. Tibbens was detained and transported to the police station for questioning.
Tibbens told police that after he arrived at the residence, he had sexual relations with the victim. Then, he said they began fighting because he tried to take her phone.
He reportedly admitted that he pushed the window closed when the victim screamed for help, and that he was also present inside when police initially arrived on-scene.
Tibbens said he didn’t allow the victim to answer the door and later fled towards West Fifth Street, then to Nichols Street where he was located by Hoover.
Miller was advised that Tibbens was on probation, and directed to have Tibbens housed in county jail on a detainer.
Police spoke with the witness who stated that on March 25, Tibbens was at the residence and told he wasn’t permitted to be there.