By Catherine Potente
RIVERSIDE, CA – Stemming from felony domestic violence and assault charges filed nearly two years ago, a preliminary hearing for Ontwan Davis was held in Riverside County Superior Court last week – the court found him liable to stand trial.
On March 3, 2020, Nayley Hernandez, a deputy sheriff at the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, testified at the preliminary and said they were dispatched to a domestic battery call at an Eastvale residence in Riverside County.
Upon arriving at the scene, Officer Hernandez spoke to the victim, referred to as “Jane Doe.”
According to Officer Hernandez, Jane Doe reported her boyfriend of about two years, Davis, picked her up and tossed her onto the floor during a heated argument regarding finances.
Hernandez added, “She described that with both hands, he went towards her and grabbed her from the neck and using one hand, grabbed her face and picked her up, and tossed her to the ground.”
After falling to the ground, Jane Doe grabbed the defendant’s leg and his lanyard in an attempt to pull herself up from the floor. In response, Davis removed Jane Doe’s hand from his lanyard and grabbed her by the hair to push her off of him.
Jane Doe reported feeling pain to her hands and fingers, as well as a burning sensation on her scalp, as a result of Davis grabbing her hair. After a visual observation of the victim’s body, Officer Hernandez stated Jane Doe had “a little scrape on her ankle and a little bit of redness on her arms.”
Officer Hernandez stated Jane Doe’s mother witnessed the incident, and she said she heard an argument and loud noises that attracted her attention, describing to the officer that she saw Davis “pick up Doe from the neck and (he) grabbed her by the face, as well, and pretty much slammed her to the floor.”
When talking to Officer Hernandez, Jane Doe stated their relationship had a prior history of domestic violence. The past incident was verbal and police were involved.
According to what Jane Doe told the officer, the accused had struggled to handle the family’s finances, allegedly owed money to Jane Doe’s mother, and attempted to leave the relationship by keeping some belongings in his car.
Although Jane Doe did not show visible signs of strangulation after being picked up by the neck, Officer Hernandez stated that victims may experience internal injuries that would not be observed externally.
With the evidence and witness testimony provided, the judge concluded the preliminary hearing and scheduled an arraignment and trial setting Feb. 23.
