Man Slammed Wife's Head on Basement Floor, Police Say

By Tom Coombe

Bethlehem police say a city man slammed his wife's head against the floor of their basement Sunday during an argument about her age.

Julio Abarca, 46, of the 1000 block of Crawford Street, is charged with simple assault and harassment.

According to court records, Abarca's wife came to police headquarters Monday to report the attack, which they say happened Sunday.

During the argument, which happened while the couple was watching TV, Abarca allegedly pushed her to the ground and slammed her head at least five times against the floor.

"I thought I was going to die right there," court records say she told police.

Police say the woman managed to get away by scratching Abarca's face.

He then allegedly got her car keys and began stomping on them, trying to break them. Police say the woman then hit Abarca with a beer bottle, causing it to break over his head. 

He then allegedly punched her in the face, causing her to black out for a few seconds. When she woke up, she saw Abarca leaving the house and driving away, police said.

Abarca was arraigned before on-duty District Judge John Capobianco in Nazareth, and was free on $5,000 unsecured bail.