SLO County man who struck girlfriend in face multiple times to serve prison time, DA says

Editor’s note: This story contains references to intimate partner violence.

A San Luis Obispo County man who struck his girlfriend multiple times in the face will serve prison time, according to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office.

On Friday, a San Luis Obispo jury found Russell Jeffrey Kuhnle, 36, guilty of felony infliction of corporal injury on someone he was dating, the agency said in a news release.

Over the course of an eight-day trial, jurors heard evidence that Kuhnle struck the woman in the face multiple times on Feb. 1 while the two were seated in their vehicle, according to the news release.

The victim suffered a laceration between her eyes as a result of the assault, the release said.

Two witnesses observed the intimate partner violence, the District Attorney’s Office said.

One witness called 911 while the other intervened, according to the release.

Both witnesses and the victim testified during the trial along with Kuhnle, the release said.

Kuhnle is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 28 with San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Michael Frye presiding over the case, the release said.

Kuhnle faces a maximum sentence of four years in state prison, the District Attorney’s Office said.

Kuhnle was being held Monday evening at San Luis Obispo County jail in lieu of $85,000, according to jail records.

This case was investigated by the Atascadero Police Department with the aid of the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office’s Bureau of Investigation, and was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Natalya Ferdinandi from the District Attorney’s Office’s Domestic Violence Prosecution Team, the release said.

Attorney says testimony was inconsistent

In an email to The Tribune, attorney Jeffry Radding, who represented Kuhnle in the trial, said Kuhnle and the victim both caused harm to one another during the altercation.

According to Radding, the victim drove Kuhnle from Atascadero to San Miguel the night before the incident because Kuhnle did not have transportation.

The following morning, the victim realized she was late for work and drove Kuhnle to the Vons shopping center parking lot in Atascadero five minutes from his destination, two minutes from her work, Radding said.

During the drive, the pair argued over the driving distance and being late for work, Radding said.

In the parking lot, the victim grabbed a power drill battery from Kuhnle and threw it out the window, he said.

Radding said several facts were disputed by the jury, including the nature of Kuhnle’s assault.

Radding said the victim bit Kuhnle’s forearm after throwing the battery, to which Kuhnle responded by hitting the victim once and putting her in a headlock, biting his arm again.

Kuhnle then punched the victim in the forehead, Radding said, which was witnessed by the two bystanders, though they disagreed on the number of blows.

Radding said the victim gave statements on three separate occasions that had conflicting representations of the number of blows she received.

Radding said the victim shared conflicting testimonies of the nature of the injuries, and said her injuries were not consistent with the type of blows she received.

“All evidence regarding injuries sustained also was undisputed and was clearly incompatible with any allegations of multiple roundhouse punches to the face,” Radding said in his email.

How to get help

If you or someone you know are a survivor of domestic violence, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. The hotline offers a range of free services including confidential support from a trained staff member, help finding a local health facility, legal and medical advice and referrals for long-term support.

Survivor support and resources are also available through Lumina Alliance at luminaalliance.org or its Crisis and Information Line at 805-545-8888.