A Maryland man assaulted his wife aftershe FaceTimed him while having sex with another man inside a car parked outside a Best Western hotel in Pennsylvania, according to a felony complaint.
According to police, after receiving the video call, William Atkinson, 34, asked a friend to drive him to the parking lot so they could confront the wife and her male companion. Atkinson told cops the duo was "egging him on" during the FaceTime call.
When Atkinson arrived at the parking lot in Somerset on Sept. 21, he struck the other man, who later fled the scene, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by The Smoking Gun.
Atkinson Seen 'Actively Kicking' the Victim in the Face
Atkinson then allegedly punched and kicked his 32-year-old spouse, whom Atkinson said he was married to for three years, leaving her severely bruised and bleeding heavily from her face, nose, and mouth. While Atkinson claimed to have only hit the victim with an open hand, a witness reported seeing him "actively kicking" her in the face. Police seized Atkinson's shoes, one of which was covered in blood.
Police could not obtain a statement from the victim, who was described as being in an "extremely intoxicated" state and was "uncooperative" with officers. The eyewitness who reported the assault also mentioned hearing a gunshot. Police recovered a pistol from the van Atkinson traveling in. However, there were no magazine or rounds in the 9mm firearm or at the parking lot. A knife and stun gun found at the scene belonged to his spouse, Atkinson told police.
Atkinson Charged with Assault and Reckless Endangerment
Atkinson was charged with aggravated assault, a felony, and reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor. Atkinson, who is being held in the county jail in lieu of $30,000 bail, is scheduled for a Sept. 28 preliminary hearing.
In 2016, the victim was arrested for attempted murder after an argument with her boyfriend ended in gunfire. The man was not hit when she fired a single shot inside a residence in Cumberland, Maryland. The woman subsequently pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment and was sentenced to two years of probation.
It is unclear whether Atkinson was the woman's boyfriend at the time. Court filings in Atkinson's case list his address as a private home in Cumberland, which is about 35 miles south of the Pennsylvania parking lot where he was apprehended.
