Man Allegedly Chokes Haverhill Woman He Met Online During First Date

Graciano Mendes appears in Haverhill District Court Oct. 22, 2019. (WHAV News photograph)

A Brockton man has been ordered to stay out of Essex County after police say he allegedly choked a Haverhill woman he met online while the couple was on their first date earlier this month.

Twenty-five-year-old Graciano Mendes was arrested and charged with one count of strangulation and one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon after police had to rescue the woman Oct. 12. According to a police report filed by Officer Cory Baldera, Mendes chatted with the woman online before meeting up with her for a drink at her home. He allegedly became belligerent when she felt uncomfortable with his advances.

“She tried pushing him out the door because he was refusing to leave and was trying to remain against her wishes. That’s when he turned and struck her in the face with a Hennessy bottle,” Baldera said.

Hit by the bottle, the woman fell to the ground. Mendes picked her up and allegedly “began choking her with his forearm,” police said. The woman said she may have blacked out but remembered trying to grab his face to loosen his grip, grabbing his leg and biting him. She ran from him and although Mendes chased her, she was able to return to her apartment, lock the door and call police.

Speaking to Baldera, an uncooperative Mendes said he was “just trying to get some” and that the woman “wanted it.”

In addition to having no contact with the victim as a condition of his release, Judge Patricia Dowling ordered him on GPS monitoring until his next court hearing in mid-November.

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