Cherokee Man Who Strangled, Bit Woman Sentenced To Prison: Prosecutors

CANTON, GA — An Acworth man accused of biting, strangling and punching a woman has been sentenced to prison in Cherokee County, prosecutors said Friday.

Cherokee County Superior Court Judge Shannon Wallace on May 8 handed down the prison sentence to Victor Manuel Duarte Arias after he entered a non-negotiated plea in the case of domestic violence assault, prosecutors said.

The 31-year-old Acworth man was arrested after an investigation that began on Aug. 11, 2025.

A 911 caller reported a physical dispute between Arias and a woman. Prosecutors said the pair had been living together in an apartment near Bells Ferry Road.

The caller claimed the woman may have stabbed Arias; however, prosecutors said when deputies arrived, they found Arias with no injuries.

The woman had multiple injuries that were visible, including bite marks to her forehead.

She told deputies Arias strangled her, bit her, punched her and forced her into their apartment when she tried to escape, prosecutors said. This spanned three days.

“The investigation revealed a pattern of escalating abuse designed to isolate and control the victim,” said Cherokee County Assistant District Attorney Ashley Snow, of the Domestic Violence Unit, in a news release. “When the victim decided to end the relationship over the defendant’s repeated infidelity, he used violence in an attempt to intimidate and force her to stay in the relationship.”

Aside from the bite marks, prosecutors said the woman additionally suffered "sub-conjunctival hemorrhages in the eyes and petechiae and enlarged vessels in the mouth (consistent with strangulation), bruised gums and swelling of her right foot and ankle."

She was taken to a hospital, where doctors determined her foot was fractured, prosecutors said.

A strangulation assessment was ordered for the woman, and the children in the home had to be forensically interviewed, prosecutors said.

One of the children was present during the assault, and another witnessed past acts of domestic violence, prosecutors said.

Arias pled guilty to kidnapping, two counts of family violence aggravated battery, four counts of family violence aggravated assault, three counts of false imprisonment, family violence battery and third-degree cruelty to children, prosecutors said.

Wallace sentenced Arias to 30 years, with 20 years to serve in prison and the remainder on probation, prosecutors said. He was also ordered to pay restitution and is not allowed to have contact with the woman or children.

“The victim in this case endured ongoing abuse before receiving the help she needed,” Cherokee County District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway said in the release. “Particularly troubling were the acts of strangulation, which are among the strongest indicators that domestic violence may become lethal. This sentence holds the defendant accountable for his actions, protects the victim from further harm and sends a clear message that this type of violence will not be tolerated.”