Authorities: Fairchild man breaks girlfriend's nose during assault
Jul. 26—EAU CLAIRE — A Fairchild man physically assaulted his live-in girlfriend during an argument over the weekend, authorities say.
The woman's head injuries included a broken nose, authorities said.
Steven G. Vetrone, 31, was charged Monday in Eau Claire County Court with felony counts of fourth-offense drunken driving and substantial battery.
Vetrone is also charged with misdemeanor counts of criminal damage to property, resisting an officer, disorderly conduct, operating after revocation and failure to install an ignition interlock device.
Vetrone is free on a $5,000 signature bond, which prohibits him from having contact with the woman, drinking alcohol or entering taverns. He was also ordered to maintain absolute sobriety.
Vetrone returns to court Sept. 7.
According to the criminal complaint:
Eau Claire County Sheriff's deputies were called to a Fairchild residence Saturday for a domestic disturbance.
A woman said Vetrone, her live-in boyfriend and father of her child, hit her multiple times and had been drinking. While on their way to the residence, deputies learned Vetrone had left the residence in a vehicle.
The woman said she and Vetrone had been living together for five years and have one child. Earlier Saturday, Vetrone was drinking at a tavern and the woman said she went to the bar to bring him home.
After he refused to leave the tavern, the woman said she was able to get Vetrone outside and into the vehicle. Once inside the vehicle, Vetrone began hitting her and broke her prescription glasses.
The woman said the altercation escalated once they got home. Vetrone hit her multiple times and she went to the floor and covered her face in an attempt to protect herself.
While she was on the floor, the woman said Vetrone stomped once on her face. She thought she heard her nose break. Vetrone ripped the woman's shirt and hit her 10 to 15 times.
The woman said the altercation lasted about 40 minutes.
The woman's mother took her to HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital, where she was diagnosed with a fractured nose.
A deputy located Vetrone's vehicle on Front Street in Fairchild. The deputy called him on the phone. Vetrone said he knew officers wanted to arrest him.
Vetrone refused to meet with the deputy because he had been drinking, did not have a driver's license and did not want to get arrested for drunken driving. The deputy told Vetrone not to drive if he didn't have a license and had been drinking.
Vetrone was seen driving in Fairchild a short time later.
Vetrone was arrested when he got to his residence. There was an overwhelming odor of intoxicants coming from Vetrone and he had red, bloodshot and glassy eyes. A breath test showed Vetrone had a blood alcohol content of .171.
A records check showed Vetrone had previous drunken driving convictions in Waupaca, Eau Claire and Wood counties.
If convicted of the two felony charges, Vetrone could be sentenced to up to four years in prison.
