BRISTOL — A South Burlington man pleaded innocent on Aug. 26 in Addison Superior Court, criminal division, to five separate misdemeanor charges in connection with an alleged domestic assault at the Green Mountain Family Campground in Bristol on Aug. 25.
Jorge G. DiNunzio, 30, has been charged with domestic assault, interference with access to emergency services, two counts of unlawful mischief, and possession of a regulated substance, following an incident during which he allegedly dragged a woman along the ground, destroyed her cell phone and called her names, according to court records.
It was at around 8:20 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25, that VSP Trooper Joseph Szarejko was asked to join Bristol police in investigating an assault complaint at the Green Mountain Family Campground off Route 116 South.
Police interviewed DiNunzio at the scene and found him to be “very upset and nervous” while talking about the incident, according to Szarejko’s court affidavit on the incident.
DiNunzio told authorities that a dispute between him and the woman had occurred after he suspected her to have resumed seeing a former boyfriend, according to court records. The woman had taken longer to run an errand than DiNunzio believed was needed, and he confronted her on where she had been, according to police investigators.
“DiNunzio advised that it was just a verbal argument and that he would never harm (the victim) as he outweighed her by 100 pounds,” Szarejko’s affidavit reads.
During the course of their argument, DiNunzio is alleged to have grabbed the victim’s purse while it was still on her shoulder, as he wanted to check her cell phone log, according to court records. The force of him pulling the purse caused the woman to fall to the ground, DiNunzio told police.
“DiNunzio advised that he did not intend for (the woman) to fall onto the ground like she did, as he said he never meant to hurt her in any way and that he would never hurt her,” Szarejko’s affidavit reads.
Szarejko noted a rip in DeNunzio’s shirt and several scratches on his skin, according to court records.
“He would not tell us how the scratches occurred and only said that the ripped shirt must have come when she was pulled over his back,” Szarejko’s affidavit reads.
Authorities reported finding 21 Prazosin capsules in DiNunzio’s possession, a blood pressure/anxiety medication that had been prescribed to the victim, according to court records. DiNunzio told police that he had taken the pills from the woman “as she tends to self-regulate with the drugs,” Szarejko’s affidavit reads.
Witnesses gave police a different account of the incident.
One witness reported having seen DiNunzio “body slam the girl to the ground and say, ‘You never listen to me,’” according to court records.
Another witness told police that DiNunzio had grabbed the victim by the shoulders and thrown her to the ground, calling her a “(expletive) whore,” according to Szarejko’s affidavit.
Police interviewed the victim, who said she had told DiNunzio she was going to leave him and tried to get away from him at the campground, according to court records.
“(The victim) advised that DiNunzio began smashing items in the (campground) shed, punching holes in the wall and kicked in the door,” Szarejko’s affidavit reads. “(She) advised that DiNunzio was dragging her around the campsite, which caused her to cut her right ring finger.”
The woman alleged that DiNunzio had dragged her around by her purse while it was still hooked to her left arm, according to court records.
“(The victim) advised that she sustained scratches and bruises from being dragged, which also caused her pain and discomfort,” reads Szarejko’s affidavit.
Ultimately, DiNunzio allegedly took possession of the victim’s phone and smashed it, according to court records.
“(She) advised that if her cell phone was not broken that she was going to dial 911 for help, because she was afraid of DiNunzio and wanted help and also wanted to get away from him,” court records indicate.
A campground official told police that DiNunzio caused an estimated $400 in damage to the campsite, adding it would not be possible to rent the site for around two weeks until the necessary repairs had been made, according to court records.
Police arrested DiNunzio following their investigation. Addison Superior Court Judge Robert Mello ordered DiNunzio held on $2,500 bail at the Chittenden County Correctional Center.