Details emerge in court hearing for NYPD cop accused in Paterson domestic violence case

PATERSON − Citing concerns for the safety of the alleged victim, a Passaic County judge ruled on Friday that an NYPD officer would remain in jail after being accused of beating and kidnapping a woman in Paterson.

Hariton Marachilian, who was wearing a sling on one arm, will not be home for the holidays after Judge Barbara Buono Stanton determined the prosecution has presented enough evidence against him to recommend against his release.

Marachilian is charged with first-degree kidnapping, two counts of second-degree aggravated assault, criminal restraint and criminal coercion.

The NYPD captain is accused of kidnapping and viciously beating a woman in multiple locations around Paterson last December. He was supposedly having an affair with the woman and the fight allegedly occurred after a verbal argument broke out between the two following a dinner with friends.

During the detention hearing on Friday, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Gyselle DaSilva detailed the serious injuries sustained by the woman, saying body camera footage from Paterson police officers who arrived on scene showed her bloody face, swollen lips and eyes and bruising around her neck from being choked.

DaSilva said Marachilian smashed the woman's head into the dashboard several times, ripping out chunks of her hair. During the assault, the woman was able to flee but was chased by Marachilian and when he caught up with her, picked her up over his head and slammed her into the ground.

One witness said the pair's fight lasted at least a half hour and both witnesses who called 911 feared the woman would be killed.

DaSilva said Marachilian threatened the woman against asking for help from the police, even taking her phone so she could not call for help. DaSilva referred to a police report about the incident, saying the woman had "visible injuries," had admitted to drinking, said she couldn't remember how she got the injuries and that she declined medical help.

According to DaSilva, Marachilian told the cops at the scene they were having an affair. One witness said the beating was so bad, he had to look away.

In her statement, the woman said Marachilian grabbed her hair and held her down, smashing her against the dashboard and asking why she wouldn't have sex with him, assaulting her "for what felt like hours," DaSilva said.

The prosecutor also pointed to text message exchanges between the woman and Marachilian and two notarized confessions and statements made by her. The woman also said Marachillan threatened her to stay quiet and gave her $15,000 in cash to pay for therapy. DaSilva said the woman feared for her life and the life of her husband and children, and Marachillian threatened to send implied intimate pictures to everyone in the NYPD if she told anyone about what happened. DaSilva additionally mentioned a recent retraining order out against Marachilian in Hudson County.

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Marachilian's attorney James Mastronardi said his client has been a public servant for years and is a Marine Corps veteran who served during the Iraq War and has never been in trouble before.

He pointed to evidence submitted by the defense of how the woman acted with Marachilian in the year since, noting there were several pictures of them hanging out together, saying there was no danger to her based on their interactions together. Additionally, Mastronardi said the woman was the aggressor in videos the defense submitted, showing her hitting him in an elevator and another showing her trying to grab his phone from him.

In regards to the restraining order, Mastronardi accused the women in the Paterson and Hudson County cases of colluding against his client.

The defense attorney also argued that it was unlikely that Marachilian would fail to appear as he cares for his elderly father and has two children.

Buono Stanton took a brief break to review the evidence before handing down her decision. She said the credibility of the notarized statements would be left to experts to prove and for a jury to decide and noted that because the restraining order occurred after the December incident and has yet to be adjudicated, she cannot consider it.

She ruled the evidence presented by the state "strongly" weighed in their favor and voiced her "grave concerns for the victim's safety."

Marachilian's case is being referred to the grand jury and he can appeal Buono Stanton's decision within seven days.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NYPD cop Hariton Marachilian makes first court appearance