People v. Nix CA4/2

FACTS AND PROCEDURE

Defendant and the victim met and became friends at the end of October in 2014.

Defendant would come to the victim’s studio apartment on a daily basis, until they lost

touch after about a month. In January 2015, defendant resumed visiting the victim

regularly, and in February defendant and his girlfriend lived with the victim, sleeping on

her convertible couch. After moving out, defendant and his girlfriend continued to visit

the victim. Also at that time, another couple with whom they were all friends, Eric and

Pearl, began staying with the victim.

On March 7, 2015, defendant and a woman came to the apartment. The woman

was a friend of defendant’s, whom he had introduced to the victim and with whom the

victim had become friends. While the woman waited outside, defendant demanded that

Eric let him in. Eric did so. Defendant went over to the where the victim was sitting on

her bed. He began yelling at her and calling her names and poured a tall can of beer on

her head. Defendant put his hands around the victim’s neck and starting choking her.

Eric and Pearl tried to pull defendant off. Defendant hit the victim with his hands on her

face, arms and…