Police: Upstate N.Y. Man Assaults Girlfriend, Fights with Man Trying to Help Her

City police who say they found an upstate New York man bleeding and "stumbling" around an apartment early Thanksgiving Day later charged him with assaulting his girlfriend "throughout the night" and getting into a fight with a man trying to protect her, court records say.

Antonio Mojica, 44, of Herkimer, N.Y., was taken to St. Luke's University Hospital-Fountain Hill after police responded at 1:36 a.m. to a domestic disturbance call at 1148 E. Fourth St., third floor. Herkimer is east of the upstate New York town of Utica.

A criminal complaint filed by city Officer William P. Audelo tells the following story:

Police responded at 11:15 p.m. Wednesday for a report of a man assaulting a woman. Witnesses said they saw the man strike the woman several times before leaving in a green convertible sedan with a tan top. Police could not find either person.

Almost two and a half hours later, police were called out to the E. Fourth Street address, where they spotted the green convertible sedan parked in a rear driveway. The woman said she was assaulted by her boyfriend—identified as Mojica—"throughout the night," with the first assault occurring around 11 p.m.

She had swelling around her left eye and several scratch marks. Also, the alleged assault apparently occurred outside, because she had cuts on both knees from when she was allegedly pushed to the ground.

She said Mojica again assaulted her inside the E. Fourth Street apartment, where he forced her onto a couch.

Meanwhile, the man who came to the woman's assistance told police he arrived around 1:30 a.m. and found Mojica on top of the woman. He tried to defend her but Mojica punched him. Then he and Mojica got into a fight lasting about three minutes, the man told police.

Mojica was charged with one count of simple assault and two counts of harassment. He was arraigned at 6 a.m. Thursday by on-duty District Judge Todd Strohe of Bangor and committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $10,000 bail.