DUBOIS – A DuBois man is facing felony charges for allegedly strangling and threatening to kill a woman while she was holding a baby.
Joseph Michael Mazza, 30, was charged by state police with aggravated assault, two counts of strangulation and endangering the welfare of children, all felonies, as well as misdemeanor simple assault, terroristic threats and recklessly endangering another person in relation to his actions on July 9 at a DuBois City residence.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Mazza, who was using methamphetamine, began yelling at the victim saying his phone was hacked and he became paranoid about police coming to their residence.
Police say he grabbed the victim by her arms, causing bruising, then struck her in the face/jaw area causing bruising to her chin and cheek.
“During the time of the strike to the facial area, the victim was holding her one-month-old baby,” it says in the report.
Mazza also allegedly kicked her in the back; pistol whipped her causing a cut on her forehead and then strangled her until “she began to lose consciousness.”
The assault continued as he grabbed a gun, held it to her head and said he was going to kill her, according to the criminal complaint.
The victim stated that she tried to leave the home, but he grabbed her, pulling her up the steps and back up into the residence.
Mazza is being held in the Clearfield County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail. His preliminary hearing on these charges is scheduled for Friday during centralized court at District Judge David Meholick’s office in DuBois.
