POCATELLO — A 36-year-old local man was recently arrested after police say he punched a woman several times and then kicked her in the face after she fell to the ground in a downtown Pocatello parking lot earlier this month.
Dulton Earl Johnson, of Fort Hall, was charged with felony domestic violence resulting in traumatic injury and arrested around 1 a.m. July 17 after witnesses told police they saw him attack the woman, leaving her bloodied before attempting to flee the scene, according to police and court records the Idaho State Journal recently obtained.
The incident unfolded after Pocatello police responded to a large disturbance near East Center Street and South Second Avenue, where officers were lagged down by a man who reported witnessing an altercation and a woman injured nearby, court records show.
Officers found the woman lying face down in a parking lot south of the area with blood on her arms and the ground around her, police said.
Witnesses told officers they saw Johnson punch the woman multiple times and kick her in the face while she was on the ground before running north and getting into a vehicle when he spotted a patrol car approaching, police said.
Officers located the vehicle a short distance away and stopped it. The woman told police she was bleeding from her mouth and officers observed swelling, scrapes and bruising on her face and arm, the police report says. She said Johnson punched her about four times and kicked her, but declined transport to a hospital after being examined by medics on scene, according to court records.
Officers said Johnson was interviewed after waiving his Miranda rights and gave inconsistent accounts of the night, denying he hit the woman but admitting the two had argued inside a bar after she put her arm around another man, police said.
According to the police report, officers observed what appeared to be dried blood on Johnson's shirt, which was collected as evidence.
Dulton appeared before 6th District Magistrate Judge Adam Strong for an arraignment hearing via video conference from the Bannock County Jail July 17, where his bond was set at $150,000 and a no-contact order was issued between him and the woman.
Dulton is scheduled to appear in court again July 27 for a preliminary hearing. Prosecutors will attempt to present sufficient evidence to elevate the case from magistrate to district court for trial.
If convicted of felony domestic violence resulting in traumatic injury, Dulton faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Editor's note: Domestic violence resources are available for anyone affected by abuse. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached 24/7 by calling 800-799-7233 or texting BEGIN to 88788. Locally, Family Services Alliance of Southeast Idaho provides shelter and support services and can be reached at 208-251-4357. Additional resources, including a full community directory of local shelters and victim advocates, are available through the City of Pocatello at pocatello.gov/233/Domestic-Violence-Services-Resources.