A Bonneville County man is facing serious felony charges following a horrific early-morning domestic disturbance where he allegedly assaulted a woman and a 3-month-old infant using hot food.
Carlos Swearingen, 23, of Ammon, was arrested Tuesday and is charged with felony attempted strangulation, felony injury to a child, misdemeanor domestic battery, and an enhancement for committing assault in a child’s presence. His bond was set at $75,000.
The incident unfolded just before 2 a.m. on Tuesday, when Bonneville County sheriff’s deputies responded to an apartment for a domestic disturbance. Upon arrival, they heard screaming and witnessed a woman fleeing the residence with two crying children. Deputies reported hearing a loud bang from inside the apartment, and the visibly distraught woman stated Swearingen had been drinking all night.
According to court documents, the altercation began when Swearingen opened a piece of mail and became enraged by its contents, allegedly threatening to kill two family members. When the woman told him to stop and that they were having a good night, he reportedly began calling her names.
The violence escalated rapidly. Swearingen allegedly grabbed a bowl containing onions, hot dumplings, and hot chili oil and threw it at the couple’s 3-month-old baby, striking the infant. As the woman rushed to the bathroom sink to clean the baby, Swearingen followed her. The woman told deputies he then rubbed the hot chili oil into her eyes, grabbed her hair, and began striking the right side of her head with a closed fist.
Despite her pleas for him to stop because she was holding the baby, Swearingen allegedly responded with profanity, indicating he did not care. The woman managed to escape the bathroom into the hallway, where she handed the infant to her 5-year-old child who was standing at a bedroom door. She then curled on the floor in a defensive position as Swearingen continued hitting and kicking her.
During the assault, the woman scratched Swearingen multiple times. He allegedly responded by placing her in a rear naked choke hold. She eventually broke free and ran for her cellphone in the living room, but Swearingen snatched it and threw it against a wall. Seizing the moment, the woman gathered the children, placed the baby in a car seat, and fled the home.
Deputies noted fresh scratch marks on Swearingen, who was only in his underwear. When asked about them, he claimed they were old scars. He told officers he and the woman had argued and he “shoved (her) around a little and that’s all.”
Investigators later spoke with the 5-year-old child, who corroborated the mother’s account. The child stated Swearingen was grabbing her mother’s hair and yelling, while also hitting and kicking her. The child said she tried to lock her door and hide.
A no-contact order has been issued for the victim. Swearingen is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on January 20. If convicted on all charges, he could face up to 26 years in prison.
It is important to remember that these are criminal allegations. Swearingen is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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