Domestic Beating Suspect at Sands Hotel Charged with Attempted Homicide

Police have charged a Clinton County man with attempted homicide for a life-threatening beating he allegedly gave to his girlfriend in a room early Monday morning.

Nicholas Aaron Mullins, 27, of Lock Haven is accused of inflicting severe head trauma on Caitlin Shields, who remains in in Fountain Hill, according to court records.

Mullins was arrested late Wednesday night in Pottsville, Schuylkill County, with the help of Pottsville police, according to a news release.

In addition to attempted homicide, he was also charged with aggravated assault and terroristic threats. He was committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $150,000 bail following his arraignment before .

Mullins was initially charged with simple assault and harassment – and released on unsecured bail – Monday after .

Shields was in the shower, half-naked and bleeding from a laceration behind her right ear, according to court records. She had also suffered bruises to her head and chest. At the time, she was unable to answer police questions about the incident, while Mullins had claimed she had hit him.

The more serious charges followed police interviews with Shields on Tuesday and a member of the hospital’s staff on Wednesday.

According to the arrest affidavit:

Shields told police that Mullins put a pillow over her face and punched her multiple times in the head and chest. She told police that she began to lose consciousness and started to scream for help. Shields also said that Mullins is on medication for bi-polar disorder.

A physician’s assistant at St. Luke’s Hospital told police that Shields had suffered severe head trauma to the right side of her skull, causing her brain to shift, blood vessels to rupture and her brain to swell.