Police: Scranton man strangled girlfriend as she held infant

Geri Gibbons, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
·1 min read

A Scranton man attacked his girlfriend while she was holding the couple’s 1-month-old baby, police said.

Christian Clark, 27, of 11 S. Webster Ave., faces felony strangulation and child endangerment charges.

According to police:

At about 7 a.m. Monday, Terrace Thomas called police to her residence. As officers were on the way, they were told Thomas had left the residence for safety and was at the Sunoco on Moosic Street.

On scene, Thomas told officers she was getting her daughter ready for school and holding the 1-month-old when Clark grabbed her by the neck.

Thomas said she fell to the floor, dropping the baby. She told police she was afraid she was going to die.

Thomas said she lost all of her senses after being strangled, so she didn’t fully recall the incident.

But her 8-year-old daughter told police Clark had strangled her mother with two hands and was yelling “die” as he did it.

Thomas said she was better a few minutes after the incident and carried the baby outside to get clothing from her car. Clark followed her and grabbed her by the hair, police said.

Police noted red, raised marks on Thomas’s neck.

Clark is also charged with simple assault and harassment. He remains at Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $40,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on May 13 before District Judge Sean Gallagher.