3 women

Staff Writer

A Union man is accused of assaulting three different women, including one who tried to hide him from officers who came to arrest him

Steven Lamont Smith, 27, of 107 Scott St., was charged by the Union Public Safety Department with two counts of assault and battery, one count of criminal domestic violence - with his criminal domestic violence charge transferred to General Sessions Court - and malicious damage to property

Warrants signed by Officer Mark Gregory said that on Oct. 11, Smith grabbed Marie Gugliucci, 17, by the throat, struck her in the mouth, causing a laceration to the inside of her upper lip and threw her on the ground, causing scratches and bruises on both of her arms while at her home on 109 Terrace Drive.

Smith also is accused of striking Anna Marie Rohrig on the shoulder during the altercation at Ms. Gugliucci's home.

Saturday, public safety officers were called to Buena Vista Apartments for another incident involving Smith.

Demetrice Harris, 31, told officers she saw Smith - the father of her child - talking to another woman and told him to come get his belongings from her apartment.

Later, he called her on her cell phone and she told him to wait until another day to retrieve his things. She said he hung up on her.

He knocked at her door and she told him to leave. Ms. Harris said Smith then kicked in the door, which broke the lock and the casing around the door. She said he grabbed her by the throat, threw her to the floor and choked her until she couldn't breathe. He then picked her up by the neck, threw her on the couch and started choking her again. She screamed, got away to a bedroom and Smith's assault on her continued there.

Ms. Harris said Smith's cell phone rang and he let her go, went to the front door and answered it. Ms. Harris said she went outside and saw the mother of Smith's other child pulling up in a Jeep to pick him up. He began leaving with his clothes.

Ms. Harris said she began calling 911. Smith saw her and came toward her again. He backed her into a van in the parking loot, grabbed her Motorola razor cell phone from her hands, broke it into two pieces and threw the pieces in the bushes. Smith got into the Jeep with another woman and left.

Officer Rusty Young found the phone pieces.

Sgt. Jermaine Smith received a tip that Smith was on 109 Terrace Drive. Smith went there and knocked on the door several times. Officers could hear someone moving around in the house. A woman there confirmed Smith's presence.

Officers entered the back door and spoke with Ms. Gugliucci. She said she had not seen Smith.

About 15 seconds later, Young, Deputy Roger Hill and Officer Robert Garner found Smith in a closet in the back bedroom. Ms. Gugliucci was charged with giving false information to police.

Smith is being held in the Union County Jail. Ms. Gugliucci was released Sunday after posting 10 percent of her $549 bond.