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Homen pleads not guilty to charges of strangulation, assault

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POLSON – A Ferndale man is denying charges that he strangled his girlfriend and assaulted her 11-year-old son. Charles Homen, 26, entered a plea of not guilty in Lake County District Court last week to felony charges of assault on a minor and strangulation of a partner or family member and misdemeanor counts of unlawful restraint and criminal destruction or tampering with a communications device. 

On Jan. 4, Homen is alleged to have engaged in a physical altercation with a woman identified in charging documents by the initials J.M. and her 11-year-old son identified by the initials B.M. 

According to charging documents, the incident occurred when J.M. returned home from visiting a female friend and the two began arguing about issues related to jealousy and money. The fight lasted from 5 to 7 that evening during which time Homen allegedly knocked J.M. to the floor and placed his hands around her neck causing her to gasp for air and see stars. B.M. pushed Homen off his mother and laid across her to protect her. As B.M. was trying to shield his mother from Homen he was hit in the head by Homen’s closed palm and thrown down several times. J.M. suffered a cut to the under-side of her tongue. The affidavit further states that at one point Homen acquired a gun, forced into J.M.'s hand and aimed the gun at his head while holding her hands urging her to shoot him. J.M. would eventually retreat to a bathroom and told Homen she was going to “call the cops.” Homen responded by taking all phones away and removing their batteries. The boy told investigators that Homen would not let him leave the premises. 

Charging documents state that J.M. was able to convince Homen to let her and her son leave by promising they would not go to or call the police.

District Court Judge Kim Christopher set trial for June 11 with a pre-trial hearing set for April 26. Homen is at liberty on his own recognizance with certain conditions including he not possess firearms, consume drugs or alcohol, has no contact with the victims and stays at least one thousand feet away from where the victims reside.

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