A Tamaqua man is facing assault, harassment and strangulation charges due to an Oct. 13 incident.

Tamaqua police were dispatched to Pitt Street on report of a physical domestic incident. On scene, police saw the female victim sitting on her porch with a T-shirt held to her head. There was blood on her face, a cut on her forehead and red marks on her neck. EMS was called to evaluate her.

The victim told police that she went out drinking with friends after work. After sleeping in her car, she came home, and Michael Grustas, 41, of Tamaqua, became aggressive and accused her of cheating on him. Grustas then went to the alley on the side of the house to use the hose. The victim said she went out to him when Grustas hit her in the head with the metal end of the hose and put her in a choke hold.

She got away, ran to the front of the porch and yelled “help me” when a neighbor called the police. A blood trail from the hose to the front of the house was noted. Grustas left with his 12-year-old son after the incident.