Casper Police: Husband Punched Wife, Breaking Her Back
A Casper man was arrested Friday after he allegedly broke a woman's back.
Alec Clifford Chastaine was booked into the Natrona County Detention Center on recommended charges of interference with a 911 call, aggravated assault and strangulation of a household member.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, police were called to a residence in the 1000 block of South Nebraska to assist emergency medical services personnel.
Chastaine's wife, the alleged victim, told police that she and Chastaine had been arguing over an incident earlier that day in which police officers had been called for a welfare check.
The alleged victim told police that Chastaine accused her of calling the police on him. He then proceeded to destroy both of their cellphones to ensure she could not dial 911. Chastaine then grabbed the victim by her throat and pushed her against the wall in their kitchen. The alleged victim attempted to defend herself before she lost consciousness.
When the victim woke up, Chastaine allegedly said, "I should have finished you off last night," before he punched her in the lower back.
Chastaine then allegedly punched the victim in her kidneys because he knew she had kidney problems. She was in so much pain that she had to crawl to the kitchen and find one of her children's cellphones to call for help, the affidavit alleges.
When the victim was transported by ambulance to Wyoming Medical Center, she was treated for bite marks and scrapes on her face. A doctor diagnosed her with having a broken vertebra in her lower back which was the result of Chastaine punching her.
The alleged victim told police that Chastaine was capable of killing her and he'd tried to do so in the past.
Chastaine allegedly told police that he had been drinking before the incident and might have pulled the alleged victim's hair. He told police that he put her in a "Marine hold" and choked her out.
He also told police that, when the victim was unconscious, he checked her vital signs to make sure she wasn't dead.
Chastaine is expected to appear in Natrona County Circuit Court Monday afternoon.