BEDFORD— A Bedford teenager has been arrested and charged with strangulation, domestic battery, and criminal trespass following an incident where he allegedly entered his ex-girlfriend’s home and physically assaulted her.
Evan Warren May, 19, was taken into custody on December 7, after officers responded to a dispatch call in the early hours of the morning.
According to the Affidavit for Probable Cause filed by Bedford Police Department (BPD) Officer Joshua Turner, officers were dispatched to a residence on Eastview Drive at approximately 1:40 a.m. Dispatch advised that the caller, a 16-year-old female, reported that her ex-boyfriend, identified as Evan May, had just entered her residence, strangled her, and then fled.
Officer Turner made contact with the victim and her mother at the front door. The victim informed police that she and May had been communicating via messaging and that she had invited him over, though he initially declined.
The victim stated that May arrived shortly later, and she unlocked and opened her bedroom window to let him in.
The affidavit notes a critical detail: May had been formally trespassed from the residence by the victim’s mother regarding a previous call for service, which supports the criminal trespass charge.
The victim stated that once inside, she told May she did not want to resume their relationship. The situation quickly escalated:
The victim alleged that May became angry, took her phone, and refused to return it. She claims May placed both hands around her throat and squeezed, causing her to be unable to breathe. May released his grip only after the victim threatened to call the police.
The victim also alleged that May threatened to kill any other person she became romantically involved with.
After the altercation, May reportedly exited the residence through the window and left the area. The victim signed a domestic battery affidavit and a medical information release, stating she wished to pursue charges.
Officers located May at his registered address and placed him into custody. After being read his Miranda Rights, May agreed to speak with Officer Turner.
May initially denied going to the victim’s home but later admitted he had been there and that the victim had let him in through her window.
While denying violence, May provided a conflicting statement about the physical contact: He admitted to putting his hands around the victim’s throat. May claimed the contact was part of “sexual relations” and stated, “She likes it rough,” suggesting any marks on her neck were from “choking her” during sex.
He admitted to taking her phone to see who she was texting.
May also claimed the victim choked him and broke his necklace to get her phone back, forcing him to “physically make her get off of him.” A broken necklace was later found in May’s front pants pocket during a search incident to arrest.
May was subsequently transported to the Lawrence County Jail.
Those facing criminal charges are considered innocent until proven guilty through a fair and due legal process. Accusations alone do not imply guilt; the judicial system will evaluate the presented evidence to reach a verdict.
