Casper Man Pleads Not Guilty to Strangulation, Aggravated Assault
A Casper man pleaded not guilty to five charges, including strangulation of a household member and aggravated assault, during his arraignment in Natrona County District Court last week.
Tristan William Holden, 20, entered the pleas before Judge Thomas Sullins on Friday.
Holden is charged with felony counts of aggravated assault and battery and strangulation of a household member, and misdemeanor counts of child endangering, domestic battery and marijuana possession.
Holden's public defender Curtis Cheney asked Sullins to reduce his bond from $25,000.
But Assistant District Attorney Mike Schafer objected, saying the bond was originally set at $50,000 and reduced when he was in circuit court. The $25,000 bond was warranted because of the seriousness and number of the charges, and Holden's prior criminal history, Schafer said.
Sullins agreed to keep the bond at $25,000. Holden remains in custody.
According to court records, a Casper police officer responded Nov. 7 to an apartment in the 100 block of Columbine for a report of a family fight.
The officer arrived to hear two people inside an apartment screaming at each other. He banged on the door and Holden answered, announcing that he was going to leave. The officer told Holden to sit on the floor.
In the living room, the officer saw the victim slouched over on the floor. She was crying and yelling that she was hurt. A child, estimated to be two years old, was also inside the apartment.
During a safety sweep, the officer noted numerous knives and a sword lying on the ground in the living room and one bedroom.
The victim told the officer that she was 12 weeks pregnant with Holden's child.
The previous night, Holden left the residence to calm down after an argument and returned the next day.
The victim said she wanted him to calm down before she would let him inside, but Holden allegedly pushed his way into the residence and started throwing things around.
The two began to physically fight and, the victim said, Holden held the victim on the ground, choking her and lying on top of her stomach with his knees pressed into her stomach area.
Holden allegedly threatened to take the victim's child away from the residence. The victim tried to stop him, and that's when the officer arrived.