Credit: Bucks County District Attorney’s Office
A Bensalem Township man out on bail for two previous domestic violence offenses attacked the same Falls Township woman for a third time last week, according to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.
Patrick Dando, 35, was on the streets after two previous domestic violence cases. The first case saw him charged in August 2020 with strangulation, simple assault, and harassment and he posted 10 percent of $40,000 bail the day after his preliminary arraignment by on-call District Judge Joseph Falcone. The second case for charges of strangulation, false imprisonment, simple assault, and harassment had an on-call district judge set bail at $25,000 unsecured in late October 2020.
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Assistant District Attorney Elliot Katz filed a motion to revoke the defendant’s bail after the second alleged assault. The request was denied by Bucks County Judge James McMaster, according to a court docket.
The first charges stemmed from an alleged August 7, 2020 incident at the woman’s Falls Township apartment. Dando was accused of grabbing the woman by the neck, tossing her onto the bed, and covering her mouth and nose to prevent her from screaming. The woman had, according to police, injuries to her neck, chin, cheeks, and lips.
On October 26, Dando was accused of roughing up the woman and throwing her to the ground after she told the 35 year old she was ending their relationship. The enraged man allegedly blocked her from leaving the apartment and took her phone to stop her from getting help. Eventually, the woman convinced Dando to let her take the dogs out, allowing her to flee in her car to the Falls Township police station to file the report.
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The latest incident, which happened last Friday, had police finding the woman limping up stairs coming from her apartment complex’s laundry room. She had abrasions to both knees, elbows, feet, chest, and face. In addition, she had bruises on her face and neck, which were consistent with being strangled. The woman relayed to officers that Dando, who was not to have contact with her as terms of his bail and an emergency protection-from-abuse order, made entry into her apartment and claimed he wanted his dog back. He argued with the woman and wouldn’t let her leave. When she ran out of the apartment and screamed for help, Dando threw her down the steps leading to the laundry room. Dando then held her by the throat and covered her mouth and nose until the victim “blacked out,” authorities said.
In the most recent alleged attack, Dando was reported to have stolen the woman’s cellphone and spare key fob for her car, authorities said.
Dando fled the scene and was arrested Monday evening by the U.S. Marshals Service and Bucks County Detectives.
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District Judge Michael Gallagher oversaw the preliminary arraignment Monday night for Dando on charges of aggravated assault, strangulation, simple assault, harassment, disorderly conduct, receiving stolen property, and theft. The defendant was sent to the county correctional facility on 10 percent of $250,000.
“We take our responsibility for public safety seriously,” District Attorney Matt Weintraub said in a statement. “Our instincts were 100 percent accurate when we argued that Mr. Dando’s bail must be revoked for his second domestic assault on this same victim. He stands accused of strangling and assaulting this same victim for a third time. Now, there is no doubt that the only way that we can keep the public safe from Mr. Dando is by keeping him in jail.”
Correction: A previous of this version of this article stated District Judge Jan Vislosky set bail at $25,000 unsecured. It was later determined Vislosky did not set bail as she was out sick at the time. A court paperwork error was to blame for the mistake.
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