A Marion County man who was upset about his girlfriend talking to another man is facing a felony battery charge after he allegedly grabbed her by the neck and choked her.
On Sunday, June 22, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a local residence in reference to a battery incident. Upon arrival, the female victim told the deputy that her boyfriend, 34-year-old Warren Dale Madden, Jr., had choked her after he became upset that she had talked to another man earlier that day, according to the arrest report.
The victim stated that Madden began arguing with her while at a relative’s home, and the verbal altercation continued until they returned to the incident location. Madden then allegedly grabbed her by the neck with his right hand in an aggressive manner, which caused her to fall to her knees.
According to the victim’s statement, Madden began squeezing her neck, which restricted her breathing. After she was able to stand up, the argument continued outside the residence, where Madden allegedly grabbed her neck a second time, and she fell to the ground.
Moments later, the victim alleged that Madden grabbed her hair and dragged her.
In the report, the deputy noted that the victim had red marks on each side of her neck, along with a red scratch mark. A “fresh laceration” was also observed on her neck, which was actively bleeding.
The deputy made contact with Madden. After being read his Miranda rights, Madden stated that the victim had been “causing issues.” He claimed that the victim “headbutted” him in the nose, though the report stated that his face did not appear to have any signs of injury, according to the report.
During the post-Miranda interview, Madden initially denied touching the victim, though he allegedly later admitted to “shoving her.” The deputy mentioned in the report that “fresh blood” was observed on Madden’s sweatpants, and he was unable to explain where the blood came from.
Madden was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail. Two days later, he was released after posting a $2,000 bond, and he is being charged with domestic battery by strangulation.
Jail records show that Madden is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 22.