46-year-old Christopher Grace was involved in a domestic altercation with his intimate partner, Christal McDowell, at their Village 21 Airbnb on March 31st. When officers arrived at the mentioned location, they contacted McDowell, who stated that she and Grace had argued about their bedroom in the Airbnb. At some point during the argument, Grace pushed McDowell onto the bed and proceeded to mount and strangle her. While strangling McDowell, Grace got close to her face and spat on her. McDowell bit Grace’s lip to protect herself, causing him to disengage.
While speaking to McDowell, officers observed visible bruises on her legs, redness on her chest, and blood on her lip. The officers then spoke with McDowell’s 18-year-old son, who witnessed the incident. He stated that he heard loud arguing, causing him to enter their bedroom. When he entered, he observed Grace strangling his mother and said that he could hear a gurgling sound coming from her. During the investigation, officers found blood on the bed pillow as well as the sheets. When officers questioned Grace, he said that he and McDowell got into an argument that resulted in him being on top of her. Grace stated that he never assaulted or strangled McDowell. Grace, while speaking to officers, appeared to be intoxicated. Christopher Grace was taken into custody and charged with domestic assault.