DUBOIS – A DuBois man accused of strangling a woman, and a Clearfield woman who fought with police while he was being taken into custody are scheduled for preliminary hearings Friday.
Vincent J. Lingenfelter, 27, was charged last week by DuBois City police with two counts of felony strangulation, aggravated assault, terroristic threats, resisting arrest and recklessly endangering another person. He is in the Clearfield County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Alexandria T. Sammarcelli, 26, is charged with aggravated assault and obstructing justice as a result of the incident. She is in custody with bail set at $50,000.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Aug. 17, police responded to a domestic assault in DuBois. The perpetrator, later identified as Lingenfelter, was saying that he would shoot any officers if they came to the home.
When they arrived, they could hear yelling inside the residence, but no one answered when they knocked on the doors. Someone was yelling for help, saying he was choking her.
They were able to gain entry through sliding glass doors. Sammarcelli was seen upstairs and ordered to come down, which she did. When asked who else was upstairs, she refused to answer, then finally yelled that her boyfriend, Vinnie was up there.
An officer called for him to come down and when he didn’t, several officers went upstairs.
At the top, an officer saw the victim in the bedroom on the floor. She was holding her throat. She said she had been choked by Lingenfelter and he had covered her mouth so she couldn’t breathe. There were visible red marks on her neck and mouth, the officer noted in his report.
She didn’t know where he was, but he had said he was going to buy a gun and if she called the police, “he was going to shoot everyone.”
Lingenfelter was found hiding under a bed in another bedroom. He would not come out or show his hands and reportedly resisted as the officers tried to handcuff him. He kept yelling that he didn’t do anything.
While this was happening, Sammarcelli came up the steps yelling that he “needed her.” She tried to push past one of the officers as he was trying to handcuff Lingenfelter. Another officer grabbed her and pushed her out of the room.
Even though she was told she was under arrest, she allegedly tried to get away and refused to comply with orders to put her hands behind her back. Another officer assisted him and they were able to handcuff her.
After they took her downstairs, she started screaming again saying she was in fear for Lingenfelter. She then lunged at Lingenfelter and an officer while still being held by another officer. Two officers stopped her and attempted to escort her out into the patrol vehicle.
Police say the entire way to the car, she screamed and attempted to stop them by digging her heels into the ground and pulling away.
When they got to the car, she was instructed to get in. She refused so an officer had to push her. She then reportedly turned around and kicked him in the stomach. But, he was able to push her feet into the vehicle and close the door.
Their hearings are scheduled for centralized court at 10 a.m. on Friday at District Judge Dave Meholick’s office.