WATERVILLE — A Massachusetts man is facing an aggravated attempted murder charge and other charges after police found him strangling a woman Wednesday behind a hotel on Main Street in Waterville, according to officials.
Irineu Goncalves, 34, of Revere, Massachusetts, was taken to the Kennebec County Correctional Facility in Augusta after the incident, reported at about 8:30 p.m. behind the Holiday Inn Express & Suites at 332 Main St., according to police Chief Bill Bonney.
Irineu Goncalves Waterville Police Department photo
“Officers Jake Whitley and Mikayla Hodge arrived, with Whitley arriving first, and observed a Black male on top of a woman, actively strangling her,” Bonney said Thursday. “The woman appeared to be severely beaten in addition to the strangling, so Officer Whitley attempted to arrest the gentleman.”
Goncalves violently resisted arrest, according to Bonney, who said Sgt. Kyle McDonald arrived and worked with the other officers to subdue Goncalves and arrest him.
The woman was taken to a hospital and Goncalves was held without bail and taken to jail. His court date is scheduled for July 17, but Bonney said Goncalves will likely see a judge before that date because he is incarcerated.
In addition to being charged with Class A aggravated attempted murder, Goncalves was charged with assault on an officer, Class C; two counts of Class B domestic violence aggravated assault; Class D refusing to submit to arrest; Class E violation of conditions of release because he was on bail at the time for a domestic violence incident involving the same woman, according to Bonney; and Class D domestic violence terrorizing.
Whitley received minor scrapes and bruises in the incident, Bonney said.
“I think it’s important for the public to know that when our officers respond to these types of incidents, they know they might have to put themselves in harms way to defend some who can’t defend themselves,” Bonney said. “That’s what they did last night, and they were able to help someone who desperately needed it.”
Copy the Story LinkComments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
