City Man Tells Cops Girlfriend 'Punched Herself'

A Bethlehem man whose girlfriend claimed he smoked $800 in crack cocaine that day told police a lump under her right eye was the result of his girlfriend punching herself.

But police, who visited the home on the 400 block of E. Wall Street twice Thursday, came to a different conclusion, although they said the girlfriend was “visibly intoxicated” during their first visit.

They charged Kenneth George Jr., 45, of the E. Wall Street address with simple assault and harassment. George landed in Northampton County Prison after failing to post $5,000 bail.

This was the second time this year George was arrested for simple assault of his girlfriend, court records say.

According to a criminal complaint filed by city police officer Michael F. Manfredo:

• Police responded to a report of a female possibly out of control breaking things in the house.
• Manfredo spoke to George, who said his girlfriend was “out of control breaking things in the house.”
• Manfredo said George “appeared that he was under the influence of a controlled substance but he denied using anything.”
• Manfredo, who saw some items on the kitchen floor, then spoke to the girlfriend. She said George caused the items to be on the floor and that he hit her in the face. The girlfriend, who was “visibly intoxicated,” said George “flipped out after smoking $800 worth of crack cocaine.”
• She said she took a “bent spoon” that George “uses to do his drugs” and threw it out of the house and onto the sidewalk. The spoon had white residue on it and burn marks on the bottom. Manfredo did not see any injury to the girlfriend.
• Both George and the girlfriend refused to leave the house. Police gave them a “notice of right” form and advised them to leave each other alone for the rest of the night.
• A short time later, around 6pm, dispatchers got a 911 call from a cell phone traced to the E. Wall Street address. They could hear a male screaming at a female.
• Police again arrived and heard George yelling “at a female” inside. Police entered the home and saw several more broken items on the kitchen and living room floors.
• George had answered the door and said his girlfriend flipped over a table after she unplugged a television he was going to watch.
• Manfredo then spoke to the girlfriend, who now had redness to her face and a lump/contusion under her right eye. She said George punched her and pulled her hair as soon as police left the first time. She said she wanted him arrested for hitting her. She refused medical treatment.
• George told police the girlfriend “punched herself.” Police then took him into custody.

He was arraigned late Thursday by on-duty District Judge Douglas Schlegel of Wind Gap.