A Nobleboro man allegedly punched a woman in the mouth and strangled her after he became upset over the balance of her food stamp card the night of Aug. 28, according to an affidavit by Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Chubbuck.
Theodore E. Poland, 46, was arrested Aug. 29 and is now facing charges of aggravated assault and tampering with with a victim, both class B felonies, according to court documents.
A temporary protection from abuse order for the alleged victim has also been issued against Poland. Under oath, the woman alleged Poland has assaulted her many times, according to court documents.
According to Chubbuck’s affidavit, an argument started between Poland and the woman after Poland “was upset because of the balance on her food stamp card and there was no money left over to buy dinner.”
When the woman laid down on a bed, Poland allegedly “jumped on top of her and punched her in the mouth with a closed fist,” according to the affidavit.
The woman said “she tried to fight him off but Mr. Poland held her down and placed both hands around her neck and strangled her to the point that she couldn’t [breathe],” Chubbuck wrote.
The woman was able to get away after kicking Poland in the throat, Chubbuck wrote.
After the woman left the residence and was walking down the road, Poland allegedly followed her in his truck and demanded to give her a ride to Bremen.
On the way to Bremen before he dropped her off, Poland allegedly told her not to call the cops, according to the affidavit.
Chubbuck wrote he could see a cut on the woman’s lip when he interviewed her later that night.
Chubbuck was unable to locate Poland that night, but caught up to him at his home the following night. Poland alleged the woman assaulted him, and he did not touch her, according to the affidavit.
“I did not see any marks on Mr. Poland,” Chubbuck wrote.
A call to Poland for comment was not immediately returned.
Bail was set for Poland at $10,000 cash or $25,000 real estate. He bailed out of Two Bridge Regional Jail on Sept. 4, according to jail personnel.
Bail conditions include no contact with the alleged victim.
Poland is scheduled to appear in Lincoln County Superior Court on Oct. 30 at 8:30 a.m.
