Samuel Dutting. Contributed photo.
A Niles man punched a pregnant woman in the stomach, leading to him being arrested on felony domestic violence charges, Brookfield police said.
The defendant, Samuel A. Dutting, 21, told police he accidentally hit the 20-year-old woman in playing out a joke, police said.
The incident occurred March 27 in the 6800 block of Warren Sharon Road, and the woman was discharged from the hospital the same day, police said. Dutting was arrested April 15 by Girard police and turned over to Brookfield police, Brookfield police said.
Dutting was arraigned April 16 in Trumbull County Eastern District Court and did not enter a plea to felony counts of domestic violence and disrupting public service. A preliminary hearing has been set for April 18.
Brookfield police said they were called to a local hospital with a report of an assault. The woman said she and Dutting argued over whether she would go with Dutting or her mother, but her mother had left by the time of the argument.
The woman said Dutting tried to force her to leave by pulling on her arms and her hoodie, ripping the pocket, police said. They argued and yelled at each other, and Dutting punched her, police said. The woman said she smacked Dutting, he smacked her back, and then the woman flipped a table at Dutting, police said. The woman said Dutting smashed her phone and left, police said.
Dutting told police the couple argued about going to a friend’s home, claiming the woman got mad because he didn’t want to go, police said. Dutting said the woman screamed at him and told him to get his belongings and leave, police said.
Dutting told police he picked up the woman “as a joke” saying that she “was part of his stuff,” police said. Dutting said the woman “freaked out” and he dropped her and “in the process, went to catch himself and struck her in the stomach,” police said.
Dutting said he owned the phone that was smashed, police said.
