Nashua Man Accused Of Strangling A Woman On Forge Drive

NASHUA, NH — A man from Nashua was arrested and held on preventative detention after being accused of strangling a woman on Forge Drive on Aug. 5.

Around 3:30 a.m., police were sent to a home after a neighbor reported a woman had run to her house, requesting help. The victim told the neighbor Peter Hernandez Jr., 26, had choked her.

The first responding officer spoke to the victim, who reported the two argued about “a Tinder notification” on his cell phone. The victim accused Hernandez of pushing her to the bedroom floor, holding her down, wrapping his arm around her neck, and keeping her from breathing. The woman could not find her cell phone, so she ran out of her home and spoke with a neighbor.

The first responding officer confirmed a rugburn mark on the victim’s shoulder as well as blood and red marks on her neck, an affidavit stated.

Hernandez was interviewed by the officer and confirmed the argument about the Tinder account but claimed the victim was recording him with her cell phone, saying she would post it to Facebook, a detective wrote. He went to grab her phone and then, a physical altercation occurred, the report said.

“Peter said he put his arm around (the victim’s) neck in a chokehold fashion,” the detective wrote. “Peter stated he then tried grabbing onto (the victim) once she left the bedroom near the stairs, and they both lost their footing and fell down the stairs.”

The detective said Hernandez suffered a minor scrape on his knee from the fall. He was arrested on a domestic violence charge and taken to police headquarters. Officers secured the crime scene and detectives arrived to investigate.

When they arrived, they heard an audible alarm from a cellphone visible from the road, on the grass, near the property line. The phone, which was in a case with a floral pattern, was “severely damaged.” It was confirmed to be the victim’s phone, the report said.

The detectives interviewed the victim, reiterating what she had told the officers — including accusing Hernandez of taking her down to the ground and strangling her, while saying something to the effect of, “Is this what you want?” The victim stated he pushed her again, which caused her to fall, and he also fell at the same time, the report stated. One of the detectives confirmed “a large red abrasion on her right shoulder,” but the victim declined medical treatment.

A report said Hernandez was interviewed after being Mirandized and waiving his rights. He was accused of admitting to putting the victim in a “chokehold” to get her to keep quiet, taking her to the ground, and continuing to squeeze. He later released her, noting she was much smaller than he was, physically, the report said. Hernandez said he learned the choke move while a high school wrestler and in the military.

Hernandez was also accused of admitting to smashing her cell phone on the pavement of the driveway and then throwing it. He was arrested and held. Hernandez was arraigned on Aug. 7 in Hillsborough County Superior Court South and held on preventative detention.

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