Casper Man Arrested for Assaulting, Strangling Woman
Casper police officers arrested a man two weekends ago after he allegedly assaulted and strangled a woman in her apartment.
Erick Richardson, 28, was booked into jail on recommended charges of aggravated assault and strangulation of a household member.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, a Casper police officer responded to the alleged victim's apartment shortly after 3:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 6. The victim was sitting on her front porch with blood on her face, shirt and legs.
The same officer had responded to the apartment about 45 minutes prior due to a reported noise complaint, and had seen Richardson in the victim's apartment at that time.
Blood was present in several areas of the apartment. The victim had suffered a broken nose, fractured left orbital socket, fractured sternum and a concussion.
The victim told police that she had been at a part in Bar Nunn and left with Richardson in order to give him a ride to the place he was staying in Evansville. They had stopped at a liquor store so that Richardson could buy a bottle of liquor, but the victim said she couldn't remember anything else between that time and the time police arrived.
The officer contacted Richardson's probation officer and learned that Richardson was staying at the Baymont Inn in Evansville. Richardson gave a breath sample which tested positive for alcohol, so he was taken into custody.
When asked about his interaction with the victim, Richardson told the officer that he had been at her apartment, but left after she had an argument via telephone with another person.
However, in speaking with the victim a second time later that day, it was discovered that the victim had no calls between shortly before 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5 and roughly 3 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 6.
The victim then told a detective that she recalled Richardson having returned to her apartment with her, where they drank together. The victim remembered sitting on a sofa with Richardson, but couldn't recall anything else prior to the arrival of police.
She told the detective that a doctor had attributed redness, swelling and soreness of the victim's throat to strangulation.
Security video from the Baymont Inn showed Richardson arriving at roughly 4 a.m. wearing a multi-colored pullover sweater and a maroon ball cap. A short time after entering his room, Richardson was seen exiting the room and carrying a bundle of clothing to a trash can.
The detective was able to determine that Richardson had been picked up by a cab less than half a mile from the victim's department before he returned to the Baymont Inn.
In a police interview, Richardson claimed that he had left the victim's apartment and did not remember how he returned to the Baymont. He told the detective that he did not change his clothing before going to bed -- he stated that he went to sleep wearing the same clothes that he had on when he returned to the motel.