A Hellertown man is facing charges of terroristic threats (Misdemeanor 1) and simple assault (Misdemeanor 2) after police say he allegedly assaulted and threatened his girlfriend in the 1300 block of Main Street June 29.
According to a police news release and court records, Kevin Michael Mantell, 27, allegedly grabbed the woman by the jaw “and punched her in the stomach.”
He also “threatened to break her jaw, and (said) if she tries leaving he knows people who have guns,” a signed criminal complaint states.
An affidavit of probable cause states that the woman walked into Hellertown police headquarters shortly after 6 p.m. June 29 to report the alleged attack.
At that time, police say, she showed an officer “text messages received from the defendant…stating that the defendant was ‘sorry’ and ‘it wouldn’t happen again.'”
Police said they “obtained a photograph of the text message as well as a written statement” from the woman.
During an interview with Mantell police said he claimed “he has had ‘black out spells’ in anger, directly related to thoughts of harming another,” the affidavit states.
Following a June 30 preliminary arraignment on the charges before Judge Antonia Grifo, Mantell was released on $5,000 unsecured bail, according to court records.
A preliminary hearing in his case is scheduled for July 12 at 9 a.m. before District Judge Anthony G. Rapp Jr.