New Kensington man accused of strangling woman who dropped squirming baby ordered to stand trial
A New Kensington man accused of slapping and strangling a woman has been ordered to stand trial.
Keith Allen Thornhill, 31, of the 1000 block of Fourth Avenue was charged July 23 with a felony count of strangulation and released from custody on a $10,000 unsecured bond.
Thornhill waived his right to a preliminary hearing Aug. 31 before District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr., who ordered him to stand trial on the charge in Westmoreland County Court. Formal arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 1.
Thornhill was arrested after police responding to a domestic dispute found a woman standing outside the Pioneer Apartments crying, according to a criminal complaint.
Police said the woman had bruising on her throat in the shape of fingers and photographed the injury for evidence.
The woman told police Thornhill struck her and choked her after she told him that she accidentally dropped their baby when the child squirmed in her arms, the complaint said.
Tony LaRussa is a TribLive reporter. A Pittsburgh native, he covers crime and courts in the Alle-Kiski Valley. He can be reached at tlarussa@triblive.com.
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