Man accused of strangling woman, stabbing himself, held without bail

SALISBURY — A Chelsea man charged with beating and strangling a woman before stabbing himself in the chest was ordered held without bail Tuesday following his arraignment in Newburyport District Court.

Anthony Vozella, 41, of Broadway was charged with two counts of assault and battery of a family/household member and strangulation/suffocation.

During Vozella’s arraignment, Judge Allen Swan ordered him held pending a detention hearing Dec. 1. A detention hearing determines whether a suspect is too dangerous to a victim or society to be afforded bail while awaiting trial.

Salisbury police Sgt. Craig Goodrich and Officer Jayson Davis responded to an Atlantic Avenue apartment on Monday about 3:30 p.m. after the woman called police from her bathroom, saying Vozella had been “physical.”

Goodrich, according to his report, soon received word Vozella was “harming himself” in the kitchen.

When the officers arrived, the woman came out of the house barefoot and crying hysterically, saying that Vozella hurt himself. Goodrich quickly noticed she had a bloody nose and cuts on her face.

Vozella, who had blood on his chest, left the house right after her, raising his hands and shouting that he did not do anything.

Vozella was handcuffed to make sure he did not have any weapons. The woman was transported to an area hospital for treatment and released later that day.

“Vozella had what appeared to be a self-inflicted stab wound on his chest (about 10) but stated that the wounds happened when the victim pushed him into the corner of a desk,” Goodrich wrote in his report.

The victim told police that prior to being attacked, she slapped Vozella after he had been verbally abusive to her. He retaliated by grabbing her by the hair and throwing her to the floor, bloodying her nose.

The woman fled the home and drove to the nearby Hunt Memorial Parking Lot. She called her sister to ask for help. The woman then returned to the apartment to make sure Vozella was not stealing anything.

Upon returning, Vozella grabbed her by the hair again and threw her to the floor. He then began strangling her for up to 10 seconds.

As a result, she could not breathe or scream. After releasing his grip, Vozella grabbed her hair and slammed her face into the bathroom doorframe. The victim was able to lock herself in the bathroom and call 911. About that time, Vozella stabbed himself with a knife, according to Goodrich’s report.

In his report, Davis said he lifted Vozella’s shirt and saw several cuts consistent with knife wounds, some still bleeding. Vozella also told Davis that he had been arrested for domestic violence-related offenses in the past.

Due to his injuries, Vozella was brought to Anna Jaques Hospital in Newburyport.

Dave Rogers is the editor of the Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.