Man allegedly pokes wife with screwdriver, hits her with fan, bucket

An intoxicated man allegedly poked a screwdriver on the neck of his common-law wife, choked her, punched her, and hit her with an electric fan and a bucket at their residence in Susupe last week.

The couple’s 1-year-old child sustained a bump on the forehead after being hit by the electric fan.

The wife had several bruises on the right forearm, a bruise on the left forearm, a scratch and bruise on her left bicep, a slight cut on the left side of her neck, and a bruise above her right knee, police said.

Christopher Reyes Dela Cruz, 34, was arrested for assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, and disturbing the peace. His bail was set Friday at $10,000 cash; preliminary hearing will be on Dec. 7 at 9am.

Assistant public defender Nancy Dominski was appointed as counsel for Dela Cruz. Assistant attorney general Robert Glass Jr. appeared for the government.

When a police officer responded to the scene last Tuesday night, a neighbor told the officer that he called police because he was tired of Dela Cruz always causing problems at the residence.

Police detective Koji M. N. Taisakan stated in his report that Dela Cruz demanded that his wife be arrested instead for drinking and for allegedly calling a drug dealer for more drugs.

The officer noticed that the victim was crying and was carrying a 1-year-old boy with a red bump on his forehead.

Taisakan stated that, according to the victim, she had been staying at her mother’s house in Kagman since Nov. 24, Thanksgiving, because Dela Cruz would constantly accuse her of cheating on him.

The victim said she returned to their house earlier that day, Tuesday. Later that night, Dela Cruz again accused her of cheating on him, then started yelling at her and slapped her while she was holding their baby.

Dela Cruz threw a can of beer toward her and their two children. He took an electric fan and tried to hit her with it.

The fan also struck the baby. When she told him she was leaving him, he took a screwdriver and poked it at her.

Dela Cruz then grabbed his wife and threw her onto the bed.

He got on top of her and started choking her neck. She nearly blacked out and remembers seeing her two children crying, staring, and begging for their father to stop. Dela Cruz stopped choking her but punched her several times.

When she managed to break away, she took their children outside of the room. Dela Cruz, however, tripped her, picked up a bucket, and broke it on his wife’s back. The victim said it was not the first time that Dela Cruz beat her up.