Cheating argument leads to assault arrest

Published 8:38 am Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Travis James Radloff, 34, of Austin was charged on Tuesday in Mower County District Court with felony terroristic threats, felony domestic assault by strangulation and misdemeanor domestic assault.

Radloff

According to the court complaint, police responded to a domestic disturbance call at 12:04 a.m. on Sunday at a residence in the 1800 block of Third Avenue Northwest. Dispatch advised that a woman who said Radloff had assaulted her was across the street from the residence with a 7-year-old child.

Police spoke with the woman, who said she came home earlier that night and found Radloff drinking with some neighbors, the complaint said. When he came inside later, she confronted him with rumors that he was cheating on her, at which point he allegedly “snapped” and pushed her into the living room, where she threw a flower vase that hit him in the head.

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She said they went into the bathroom and he threw her into the bathtub, striking her 10 to 20 times, the complaint states. She said she heard the child crying and went to go get him, but Radloff allegedly stopped her in the hallway and began to strangle her. She said she could “barely breathe” and told Radloff not to do it in front of the child.

The woman told police she feared for her life and that Radloff had assaulted her before, the complaint states. Police observed a golf ball-sized knot on the back of the woman’s head.

An officer spoke to Radloff, who said he had been drinking at a bar until 10 p.m. and was at the neighbor’s house until 11:30 p.m., the complaint said. He said they argued about a rumor he was cheating and that he allegedly pushed her onto a chair after she threw the vase at him. He denied assaulting the woman, allegedly she had scratched him on the chest and had previously assaulted him. The officer observed a cut on his head, which was attributed to the vase.

Radloff was taken to the Mower County Jail, where he blew 0.219 percent on a preliminary breath test, according to the complaint. During an interview the next day Radloff allegedly said that he and the woman had a volatile relationship that involved frequent verbal and physical fights. He allegedly admitted to pushing and slapping the woman, but could not recall who had started the fight and did not remember the details.

Radloff will appear in court again on Aug. 6.