Smith man arrested
A Smith Township man was arrested Thursday by township police on charges including aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of children after he allegedly struck his pregnant girlfriend as she held her 18-month-old daughter during a confrontation at their Langeloth home last week.
Joshua Ryan Bowland, 28, of 311 Silver Maple Lane, also is charged with two counts each of simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct in connection with the Feb. 16 incident.
Police were called to the home for a report of a domestic dispute and found the man involved had left. Police said they asked for help from Mt. Pleasant Township officers after learning Bowland was intoxicated and was known to carry a firearm.
Then, the 27-year-old alleged victim ran down the hill in front of the home carrying the child. She screamed Bowland had returned home and was destroying the inside of the house. She and the child were placed in the back of a police cruiser for their safety.
Police noticed a shadow moving in the back of the house and believed Bowland left the home a second time.
His girlfriend told police he had been drinking whiskey and was upset over the recent death of his brother. She said he became upset and aggressive. He allegedly grabbed her and threw her on a table while she was holding her daughter.
Police searched the area but could not locate Bowland. Several items inside the house were broken, and glass was scattered in several rooms.
The alleged victim and her daughter were taken to Washington Hospital for treatment.
After his arrest Thursday, Bowland was arraigned before District Judge Gary Havelka and placed in Washington County jail on $10,000 bond. Bowland will have a preliminary hearing before Havelka on March 7.