Police Arrest Man Accused Of Beating, Choking Girlfriend

Police arrested a man they say beat and choked his girlfriend to the point of losing consciousness on several occasions.

Police said 21-year-old Matthew Alexander Simmons went to his 22-year-old girlfriend’s home and started drinking beer on the evening of Aug. 4 and started choking and beating the woman with his fists about 1 a.m. Friday. The woman lost consciousness several times as the abuse continued for several hours, police said.

Simmons, of the 300 block of East University Avenue, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm and false imprisonment.

Police said Simmons had his mother tend to his girlfriend’s injuries the following morning at her apartment. When Simmons and his mother left, the victim called a friend who then called police. The victim’s eyes were swollen shut and she had visible bruising on her face and neck, police said. She was taken to a local hospital, where she was treated for injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

Simmons was arrested Friday afternoon at his mother’s apartment. He was booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center, with a cash-only bond set at $25,000.