19-year-old Jason Mendez was charged with aggravated assault and false imprisonment after he refused to allow his girlfriend to leave, placed her in a chokehold, and pressed a screwdriver to her throat, per witness report.
On September 9th, Nashville Police Officers responded to a call for service at 4017 Shufeld Court. Upon arrival, they spoke with Marleny Hernandez who advised police that she and her boyfriend, Jason Mendez, had been involved in a domestic incident. Marleny stated that she had called her friend, and told her she was going to leave Jason and that she was packing her belongings. When her friend arrived at the location, Jason grew increasingly more aggressive until eventually, the situation became physical. He was very irate that her friend was inside the home to help retrieve her belongings and he told her friend to leave.
Marleny’s friend explained to officers that she refused to leave the residence without Marleny, so Jason picked up a screwdriver and began to threaten Marleny. She stated that Jason grabbed her from behind with his arm and began to strangle her while holding the screwdriver against her throat saying that he would not let her leave, and then he began to push Marleny forward so that he could reach her friend. Her friend was trying to stay out of his reach and continued to back toward the front door. Marleny advised that she pushed away from Jason, and fled outside of the residence with her friend.
Once they were outside, her friend contacted 911. The friend advised officers that she left briefly to get Marleny’s mother, and by the time she had returned with her mother Marleny had gotten away from Jason. Marleny and her friend stayed out by the roadway until officers arrived at the property, and told officers that Jason was still inside the residence. Officers searched the residence and the surrounding area until they found Jason Mendez laying on the floorboard in the rear seat of his car parked behind the house.
Jason Mendez was charged with aggravated assault and false imprisonment. He is jailed in lieu of a $10,000 bond.
