DUBOIS – A man is facing charges for allegedly strangling and assaulting a woman at a Sandy Township residence.
Joseph Cole Snyder, 29, whose address is listed as San Angelo, Texas, was charged with felony strangulation, two misdemeanor counts of terroristic threats, simple assault, institutional vandalism and resisting arrest, as well as two counts of summary harassment by Sandy Township police in connection to an incident on June 21.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, when police arrived on the scene, the victim approached their vehicle and told the officers that her grandfather was still in the residence restraining Snyder, who had attacked her.
She was shaking uncontrollably, and had blood on her hands and clothing.
As the officers then went into home through an open front door, they noticed the door jamb was lying on the floor in the living room where two disheveled men were standing.
The older one who had blood on his clothes, advised the police that the other man, Snyder, had choked and held a knife to the throat of his granddaughter after taking her to the floor.
Snyder was placed in handcuffs because he reportedly appeared to be under the influence of something. He resisted the officers trying to get him to a police vehicle and allegedly kicked the side of the car, causing a dent.
When the officers spoke with the victim, she explained she had been in a relationship with Snyder and was at the residence to retrieve a few items from the home.
She showed them a text-message in which she asked to be able to pick up items. In a response text, he reportedly threatened that if she came to the house, he would expect her to have sex with him and if she wasn’t willing, he would rape her.
She went to the residence anyway, taking her grandfather with her.
After Snyder refused to answer her repeated knocking on the door, she was able to get into the home through an open window, she told the officers.
When Snyder saw her, he allegedly attacked her by grabbing her around the throat, closing off her airway, she explained.
He then held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her before striking her head off the wall and tightening his pressure on her neck, according to the complaint.
She told investigators she was able to break free and to defend herself, as Snyder punched her in the face and head before they fell to the floor.
He once again reportedly put her in a choke hold and said: “I will kill you, put your body in the floor.”
They separated, and then he shoved her and pulled her hair.
After she said she was leaving and taking the dogs, he allegedly tackled her to the floor, threatened to kill her and put her in a choke hold again.
At this point, her grandfather broke down the door and held Snyder until police arrived.
In his interview with police, the grandfather gave the same story but added that Snyder was threatening to kill him as well.
He explained he only broke down the door because he was afraid Snyder was going to kill his granddaughter. He also stated he was “scared as [expletive].”
Snyder was taken to the county jail and his bail set at $100,000. According to court documents, he posted bail on June 22.
Snyder’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 12 during centralized court at District Judge Pat Ford’s office.
