Man Charged With Slamming Woman’s Arm In Door In Fight Over Bills: Middletown Police

MIDDLETOWN, CT — A Middletown man is accused of slamming a door on a woman’s arm several times as she tried to flee the home during an argument over paying bills, according to police.

Police responded to a residence at about 7:30 p.m. on March 23 on the report of an active physical dispute in which the suspect, Thomas Way, was currently assaulting the victim, according to the police report.

Arriving officers found Way in the garage at the rear of the residence, while the victim was inside the home with the door locked.

The victim was described by police as “extremely upset, crying hysterically, her face was red, makeup was running, hair disheveled, and she was generally out of breath and winded,” according to the report.

The victim told police that she had been in a relationship with Way for the past two and a half years and while he has a “quick temper” their arguments had never escalated to physical disputes.

The two began arguing over household bills after the victim discovered that Way had been using the joint checking account they set up to pay bills for nights out with his friends and alcohol, according to the police report.

The victim told police that Way became very defensive and angry and he picked up the plastic kitchen garbage can and smashed it twice on the floor, causing it to shatter and she was struck by pieces of broken plastic.

The victim said she had never seen Way act that way before and had “never been more scared of him,” according to the report.

She then took out her phone and said she was going to call the police, but Way told her not to call because he would be arrested and sent back to jail, the report states.

She put the phone down and decided the only way she could call the police is if she ran outside away from him, according to the report.

The victim told police she started to run across the kitchen and made it to the front door at which time Way caught her from behind and allegedly attempted to pull her back into the residence. She then grabbed the door frame with both hands and tried to hold on as she screamed out the door for help, according to the report.

Way is then accused of slamming the front door on her arms and back about three times and she then let go of the door to try and get away and protect herself, according to the report. Way eventually let go of her and ran out through the back door and into the garage.

The victim then locked all the doors so he couldn’t get back inside and called the police.

There were two juveniles (under 16 years old) inside the home at the time of the incident, according to the report.

The victim sustained slight bruising on her right arm and declined medical attention, police said.

Way, 29, of Lake Street, was arrested on charges of third-degree assault, disorderly conduct and two counts of risk of injury to a minor. He was released on a $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on April 28, according to state judicial records.

Police noted that Way is a convicted felon on charges of criminal possession of weapons, risk of injury and probation violation.

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