WILLITS — A Mendocino County man has been arrested on suspicion of domestic violence battery following an altercation with his partner, with whom he shares two children.
Just after 7:30 AM on Thursday, September 19, deputies arrived on the 28000 block of North Highway 101 to investigate a possible domestic violence situation.
The victim, a 32-year-old woman whose name has not been released, was in visible distress and appeared to have been crying.
Investigation revealed that the woman had been drinking with her partner, 36-year-old Gary Vincent Balmain Jr. (with whom she shares two children), when the two had gotten into an argument over their relationship and living conditions.
During the argument, Balmain had allegedly grabbed her by the arms and threw her on the floor, causing her to hit the back of her head, then climbed on top of her and began strangling her. She managed to fight him off and get to her feet, at which point he pushed her into a shelf, causing her to fall down again.
As she lay on the floor, Balmain kicked her in the legs repeatedly.
Deputies noted minor injuries on the woman’s body which appeared to corroborate her account.
The property’s living conditions were also problematic; piles of trash strewn about, the interior of the residence in disarray, no working refrigerator, and heated by a propane stove.
A social worker from Child Protective Services responded to the scene to take custody of the children while their mother was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Though Balmain was not located at the scene, he was quickly found nearby and arrested without incident.
He now faces charges of domestic violence battery and is in custody on $25,000 bail.
