A North Webster man has been arrested after allegedly strangling his wife for hiding his marijuana.
On October 14, 2016 a deputy with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department responded to a domestic battery complaint in the town of North Webster.
When the officer arrived, he spoke to a female victim who said she and her husband, Joel C. Loftus, 34, were arguing and he got abusive. The victim told police her husband allegedly punched her in the face several times, knocked her down to the couch and put his elbow on her throat making it hard for her to breath.
The officer could see a bruise on the victim’s forehead, red marks near both eyes and red marks on her neck and chest.
The victim told police the reason for the argument was because she hid her husband’s marijuana. The responding officer observed several items of paraphernalia and a small amount of pot in the residence.
Loftus was arrested late Monday night. Court documents were released on the incident last week.
Loftus is being charged with strangulation, level 6 felony; domestic battery, class A misdemeanor; and possession of marijuana, a class A misdemeanor, which was enhanced due to Loftus’s 2008 drug conviction in Steuben County.
His bond was set at $5,850.
