A Bridgeton man accused of strangling his girlfriend during an altercation at her Atlantic City home was released Friday pending trial.
Alonzo Hannah, 33, was arrested last Saturday, although the alleged attack happened in July, defense attorney Mary Linehan noted.
Police were called to the woman's residence at about 1:40 a.m. July 2, after reports of a woman screaming, the affidavit states.
The woman was crying when she answered the door and told police that Hannah strangled her for about 10 seconds.
She told police that she had allowed Hannah to stay at her home, but the two got into an argument over missing credit cards, and that she asked him for her house key back, according to the affidavit.
When she tried to call her mother, the defendant allegedly knocked the phone out of her hand and assaulted her.
"I was set to detain you," Superior Court Judge Nancy Ridgway told Hannah.
But arguments that included a longstanding health issue that impacts Hannah's immune system led her to release him with strict conditions.
"Victims of domestic strangulation have a higher instance of being murdered by their partners," Ridway noted. "It's a huge risk factor."
She said she also was "very concerned" about the charge and Hannah's criminal history, although his attorney noted those were at least 15 years old.
