OCEAN CITY — A Pittsburgh man was charged with first-degree assault last week after allegedly choking his girlfriend at a downtown motel room.
Around 1:45 a.m. last Thursday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a motel at 9th Street for a reported domestic assault. OCPD officers met with a female victim, who advised she and her boyfriend, later identified as Darien Hudson, 30, had been in a physical altercation. According to police reports, the victim had several injuries to her neck area.
OCPD officers spoke with Hudson, who reportedly told police he and the victim had been fighting back and forth all day. OCPD officers had intervened on two separate occasions earlier in the day, according to police reports.
Hudson reportedly told police the argument started over $80 the victim owed him. When Hudson overheard the victim talking about leaving in the morning with her daughter, he grew concerned he would not get his money back, so the argument ensued, according to police reports.
Hudson reportedly told police the couple was arguing in the motel hallway. When the victim allegedly hit Hudson, he reportedly said he grabbed her by the hair to keep her from hitting him more. Hudson reportedly told police when the victim continued to hit him, he grabbed her by the neck and pinned her against the wall. Hudson said he then went back into the unit and threw all of the victim’s and her daughter’s belongings out of the unit and called the police.
OCPD officers interviewed the victim, who provided a slightly different version of the events. The victim reportedly told police the altercation occurred inside the motel room and not in the hallway. The victim told officers Hudson had lunged at her, so she hit him in order to defend herself. After the victim hit Hudson, he picked her up off the bed and threw her to the ground, according to police reports. Hudson then reportedly grabbed the victim by the back of her neck and pushed her face into the ground.
The victim was able to free herself briefly and the altercation continued until Hudson picked the victim off the ground by her throat and pinned her against a wall in the motel room to the point she had difficulty breathing, according to police reports. The victim said Hudson then threw her and her daughter out of the unit. According to police reports, the victim had several markings on her neck that looked like finger marks, along with a two-inch cut in the same area of her neck. Officers observed motel security footage which corroborated the victim’s version of the events.
Hudson was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree assault.
