Carson City arrests: Man jailed for felony domestic battery after allegedly choking victim

A 26-year-old Carson City man was arrested Saturday for suspicion of felony domestic battery with strangulation and misdemeanor false imprisonment after the victim was seen by witnesses being dragged by the hair into a residence when she tried to escape a domestic battery situation where she was allegedly choked, a sheriff's deputy said.

Stephen Grant Morse was taken into custody at 10:21 a.m. for the alleged crimes. Deputies were were called to a residence after dispatch alerted to reports received about a male dragging a female into an apartment by her hair.

Deputies arrived and detained the suspect who identified himself as Morse. He told the officer that he and his girlfriend were arguing but he denied the argument was physical.

He had fresh cuts and scrapes on his knuckles consistent with punching something, the arrest report states. A deputy asked the man what happened to his knuckles and he said he works construction and cut his knuckles last week. Deputies observed the scrapes were actively bleeding and appeared fresh.

Deputies met with the victim in front of the apartment, who had a cut on the left side of her lower lip consistent with being punched. Deputies interviewed the woman who said the two had been arguing about her going to the bank and post office. She said the suspect began to punch her in the face with a closed fist during the argument. She stated she was also pushed to the ground, where the man used both hands to strangle her around her neck to the point where she could not breath and nearly lost consciousness.

The victim had redness and discoloration around her neck consistent with being strangled. The woman said she escaped the apartment and attempted to leave but that the man put her in a choke hold, grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back into the apartment.

Also on scene were three witnesses who said they saw the battery take place. One of the witnesses said he heard the two arguing, the woman screaming and saw the backside of the man choking the woman while she was screaming for help. Additional witnesses said they saw the man hit the woman before grabbing her by the hair and dragging her toward the apartment. All witnesses completed statements of what they saw.

Morse was arrested for suspicion of felony domestic battery with strangulation and gross misdemeanor false imprisonment. Bail: $22,500.

In other arrests:
— A 40-year-old Hawthorne, Nev., man was arrested Sunday, 2:32 a.m. for suspicion of misdemeanor domestic battery. According to the arrest report, deputies were dispatch to a residence regarding a domestic dispute. Deputies arrived and met with the suspect, and his father, the victim. Deputies learned the two got into an argument and that the son punched the father in his face with a closed fist. Deputies observed the victim had a laceration. He told deputies he got the injuries after his son "started swinging" on him.

The victim was taken to the hospital for lacerations to his face. The suspect told deputies the two were arguing. He said when his father puffed up his chest and bumped him, he stated he struck his father in the face with a closed fist, where the father then fell on the kitchen floor. The suspect was arrested for suspicion of domestic battery. Bail: $3,137.

— A Carson City woman was arrested early Saturday for suspicion of misdemeanor domestic battery. According to the arrest report, deputies were dispatch to a residence for a report of domestic battery. Deputies were advised a caller to dispatch said she was in dispute with her boyfriend, saying it was verbal and then changed her story, saying she was pushed and that she bit the man who pushed her.

Deputies arrived and met with the subjects involved. The woman was intoxicated and provided a .266 preliminary breath test. She stated she was upset with the man due to him allowing his brother to move in with them, the arrest report states.

Deputies made contact with the victim, also intoxicated with a preliminary breath test of .203, who advised the woman was intoxicated, yelling, and that he was trying to calm the woman down because her 1-year-old child was sleeping in the residence.

He told the officer she left the residence, drove away and then returned a short time later. He said he met her outside the residence, and that he used his body to try to keep her from entering, at which point she bit the man's chest, the victim told deputies.

Deputies spoke with the witness who reported the same story as the victim. The woman was arrested at 3:48 a.m. for suspicion of domestic battery. Bail: $3,137.

In other arrests:
— A 59-year-old Carson City man was arrested Saturday, 11:12 a.m. for a misdemeanor failure to appear warrant issued in December 2018 out of Carson City Municipal Court. Bail: $215.

— A 67-year-old Carson City man was arrested Saturday, 5:50 p.m. for a misdemeanor contempt of court warrant issued Sept. 18, 2019 out of Carson City Justice Court. Bail: $3,000.

— A 38-year-old Carson City woman was arrested Saturday, 5:12 p.m. for a misdemeanor contempt of court warrant issued Sept. 4, 2019 out of Carson City Justice Court. Bail: $3,000.

— A 31-year-old Carson City woman was arrested Saturday, 5:51 p.m. in the 1900 block of North Carson Street for a misdemeanor warrant issued July 23, 2019 out of Justice Court in Reno. Bail: $2,000.

All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff's Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.