IC man accused of violating no-contact order while assaulting ex-girlfriend
Hunter
01/29/20
An Iowa City man has been arrested after an incident early Sunday where he allegedly assaulted his ex-girlfriend.
According to police, 22-year-old Devontay James of Lakeside Drive was at the woman’s residence on 9th Street in Coralville. Officers were called to the scene just after 5am on reports of an assault. The woman in question told officers that James was over at her apartment when they began to argue.
The argument reportedly escalated, and James is accused of hitting the victim, kicking her and putting his weight on her chest with his knee. He’s also accused of impeding her airway with his arms to the point where she wasn’t able to breathe and spit up blood.
The woman was observed with red marks on her chest. She also had injuries to her eyes, which she stated were from previous unreported assaults that occurred two or three nights before Sunday’s incident.
The victim said that she and James had cohabitated in the past within the last year and mentioned that she was afraid and thought James would kill her.
A no-contact order was already in place between the two.
James was taken into custody and charged with Domestic Abuse Assault, Domestic Abuse Assault Impeding Airflow, and violation of a no-contact order. If convicted, he could be sentenced to a maximum of six years in prison.