On the night of Dec. 6, while behind the wheel of a stopped 2008 Toyota Camry in the 300 block of St. Davids Road in Loyalsock Township, Pierce Dupree Nowlin turned and began assaulting a female passenger by “hitting her and strangling her, (causing) multiple lacerations on her face and bruising to her neck,” it was alleged in a state police affidavit.

The victim grabbed a flashlight and struck Nowlin in the back of the head in order to get him to stop assaulting her, police said. The vehicle, which was not in park, rolled back and struck another car, police said. No one was injured in the accident. A child was in Nowlin’s car at the time, police said.

Following a preliminary hearing before Whiteman, Nowlin, 38, of 923 Campbell St., Williamsport, was recently held for court on charges of strangulation, simple assault and harassment. Initially jailed, he has since been released on $50,000 bail.