Easton Woman Choked by Neighbor, Police Say

Written by Daryl Nerl

An argument between neighbors on Berwick Street in Easton turned violent when a man put his hands around a woman’s throat, according to court records.

Ramone Anthony Fitzgerald, 28, of the 800 block of Berwick Street, is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person as a result of the confrontation.

The incident started as an argument between Fitzgerald’s girlfriend, identified in court papers only as “Tara,” and a next-door neighbor who lives at 803 Berwick St., the affidavit said.

It was a little after 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning when the argument escalated into violence and, according to the affidavit, Fitzgerald put his hands around the woman’s throat and started choking her.

“Bitch, how dare you,” Fitzgerald allegedly said to the victim as he choked her for what she told police felt like “an eternity,” court papers said. The victim said she felt as if she was going to lose consciousness when others at the scene pulled Fitzgerald off of her, police said.

Easton police interviewed the victim at Easton Hospital, where she was taken after the assault.

Patrolman Jamie Luise noted the presence of “redness, swelling, abrasions and ligature marks,” on the victim’s neck in the affidavit.

Fitzgerald was arraigned Friday night before on-duty District Judge Roy Manwaring of Bethlehem and committed to Northampton County Prison, where he stayed for the weekend. He was released Monday on 10 percent of $10,000 bail.