A 20 year-old man was arrested last month after he allegedly strangled his girlfriend and kept her from leaving their apartment near Southern Blvd.

He also ran from police officers and stole his girlfriend’s phone, according to the complaint.

Police received a call from a neighbor saying they heard their neighbors screaming and heard a female shout: “Help, call the police.”

When police arrived, they observed Jesus Ramirez and his girlfriend leaving the building. Police advised him to stop, but he did not. Police later found him in someone’s back yard, where they detained him with handcuffs.

Once officers returned with Ramirez to the apartments, he claimed that he and his girlfriend had a fight that lasted all night because she wanted him to leave the apartment. 

According to the complaint, he admitted to blocking her in a room and covering her mouth when she yelled for help. He said he was blocking her because he thought she was going out to buy cocaine. He claimed that he was gentle. He said she bit him and officers observed that wound. He also took her phone and changed the password for his own use, the complaint said.

Police then talked to the girlfriend who claimed that yes they did fight, but that Ramirez was more aggressive than he let on. She stated that he would not let her leave the room and pushed her back with force repeatedly every time she tried to leave, according to the complaint. 

She also said that Ramirez then left the room for a brief second, so she opened a bedroom window to scream for help. She claimed that then he came up behind her and started to choke her. Though she did not lose consciousness, she said she could barely breathe. 

When he stopped choking her, she told him to leave, which he did. But he took her phone and her car keys to prevent her from leaving.

Ramirez was charged with aggravated battery of a household member, resisting, evading, or obstructing an officer, false imprisonment, and interference with communications. He was transported without incident. Police based his arrest on the premise that he committed domestic abuse against Reyes.

If Ramirez is found guilty he will face up to 10 years or more. Since he committed multiple crimes this could be compounded.