Christmas Eve Knife Incident Leads To Charges In Southington

SOUTHINGTON, CT — A New Britain man was taken into custody Tuesday in connection with a Christmas Eve kitchen knife incident in Southington, police said.

Southington Police on Tuesday arrested Jaime Ortiz Jr., 47, of New Britain, on an outstanding warrant. The warrant charged Ortiz with disorderly conduct, third-degree assault, first-degree strangulation and first-degree unlawful restraint.

Ortiz was being held on a $250,000 bond Tuesday and is scheduled to appear in New Britain Superior Court on Wednesday, police said.

According to a warrant, on Dec. 25, a woman reported that she had been involved in a dispute with Ortiz the previous day.

During the dispute the woman turned away from Ortiz and he is accused of grabbing her
around the neck, choking her and then throwing her her to the floor, according to a warrant.

Ortiz is also accused in a warrant, of climbing on the of the woman and choking her more.

The woman attempted to get away, but was not able to, according to a warrant. Ortiz eventually
released the pressure on the woman's neck but then stood over the woman with a large
kitchen knife and would not allow her to leave, according to a warrant.

The woman began to have what police described in a warrant as "an anxiety attack" and Ortiz called for an ambulance. She was treated at an area hospital for the anxiety and released, police said. The woman also suffered minor injuries that did not require medical attention, police said.