Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
A Levittown man was charged this week with assaulting a woman back in May.
Mark Cumberland, was charged Thursday with indecent assault with forcible compulsion, indecent assault without consent, four counts of disorderly conduct, four counts of harassment and four counts of simple assault. The charges were sent to the 30-year-old via summons.
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Cumberland, according to his alleged victim, met the woman on May 24 when she attended an evening party at the Penn Warner Club in Falls Township. The victim, who rents a lot at the club, arrived at the party around 9:15 p.m with two of her friends. After recognizing Cumberland as the significant other of a girl her friend went to high school with, the two struck up a friendly conversation, according to court papers.
It was around 1 a.m. on May 25 when the night went downhill after Cumberland allegedly accompanied the woman and a friend to a screen house located on her lot. According to the victim’s statement to police, it was inside the screen house that she noticed Cumberland appeared intoxicated. He reportedly made comments to her, calling her “stuck up” and “uppity”, before challenging her male friend to a fight. According to the victim, Cumberland announced whichever male won the fight would win the victim as well.
It was then that the victim asked her friend to leave so she could attempt to calm Cumberland down and get him to leave the screen house, police said.
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After initially becoming apologetic, according to an affidavit of probable cause, Cumberland turned aggressive when he grabbed the victim from behind and said, “I’m taking you…you’re getting raped.” Police allege that Cumberland then kissed her and bit her on her back before she was able to swing her leg around and escape.
The victim assumed a fighting stance against Cumberland before he pushed her back into a chair, forcing her legs apart, telling her again he was going to rape her and her female friend at the party, according to court documents.
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Despite attempting to scream out, Cumberland covered the victim’s mouth before punching her in the face, according to victim testimony. The victim, having gone to St. Mary’s Medical Center after the incident, suffered from a concussion, a broken nose, multiple contusions and sprains, police said.
According to court documents, when the victim’s friend heard the commotion, she confronted Cumberland, before he reportedly choked her and grabbed her by the throat. When others heard the noise being made by the incident, they were able to break up the fight which had ensued between Cumberland and party-goers and hold him down until police arrived. The man involved in the fight with Cumberland before police intervention, suffered from bites to his arms and legs and scalp injuries from Cumberland reportedly pulling out large amounts of his hair.
Cumberland isn’t new to the judicial system, in addition to several traffic violations, he was found guilty in September 2012 of disorderly conduct and related charges. He had a slew of drug charges dismissed in July of 2010. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 17 with Judge Jan Vislosky.
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Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
