Bluffton woman gets attacked by ex-boyfriend months after restraining order expires, report says

An arrest warrant has been issued for a Ridgeland man who allegedly choked his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his child less than a year after her restraining order against him expired, according to authorities.

At about midnight on Sept. 1, a Bluffton woman called the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office to report that her ex-boyfriend approached her as she was leaving to meet some friends and said, “I guess some other man is more important,” according to a report from the sheriff’s office.

The suspect then grabbed the woman by the throat, began choking her and brought her to the ground, she told deputies.

Once she was on the ground, the woman called out for help, and the suspect ran away from the scene, the report said.

Two witnesses confirmed that they heard the woman scream for help and approached her to see what was happening. One of the witnesses told deputies she had seen the suspect run away, but the other witness arrived at the scene after he had fled, the report said.

After the woman “regained some composure,” she realized the suspect took her car keys, which included a key to her apartment, when he left.

This was not the first time that her ex-boyfriend and the father of her child had acted confrontational toward her, the victim told deputies.

She previously had a restraining order taken out against him, but it expired in January, the report said.

According to the woman, the suspect also showed up to her work within the past month and was “acting crazy.”

The victim told deputies that she feared for her safety and wanted to pursue charges, the report said.

The suspect has one previous conviction of first-degree domestic violence.

An arrest warrant was issued for the the suspect in reference to the incident for second-degree domestic violence.

As of Monday afternoon, the suspect had not been booked into the Beaufort County Detention Center, and no charges had been filed.

The Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette do not name suspects charged with misdemeanors.

This story was originally published September 3, 2018 at 12:44 PM.