Oakdale Man Charged with Strangling Girlfriend

An Oakdale man was charged with allegedly strangling and beating his girlfriend, leaving her mouth so swollen she could hardly talk, according to a Washington County District Court Complaint.

Michael J. Aune, 33, was charged with domestic assault by strangulation in connection with an alleged incident on Feb. 5 in the Oakdale townhome where the two were living, according to the complaint.

The woman told police Aune was “putting her down” and telling her to “shut up,” according to the complaint. They were in the kitchen when an argument started, and he began throwing things at her, the complaint says. He became angry and then allegedly slapped her in the face and held a knife to her neck, she told police. She took their young child upstairs, and he followed, the complaint says.

He allegedly pushed her down onto a bed face first, and then pressed her face into the mattress and closed his hand around the front of her throat while telling her, “die,” according to the complaint. She told police she couldn’t breathe, the complaint says.

After he got off of her, he yelled at her to get up and stop crying, and pushed her out of the room and down the stairs, the complaint says.

She sat down, and Aune punched her in the face, she told police. Blood was squirting everywhere, and she started screaming, the complaint says.

Aune told her to go to the hospital, so she took the child, drove to Oakdale Fire Station No. 1, and called 911, the complaint says.

Oakdale Fire Department staff started helping her, and an officer arrived shortly after, the complaint says.

She was bleeding from her mouth and nose, one of her teeth had been forced through her upper lip and her lip was hanging, the complaint says. She had cuts on her tongue and her mouth was so swollen officers had trouble understanding her when she spoke, according to the complaint.

The woman told police that Aune often physically abused her, and that he had been arrested for domestic assault two months prior, the complaint says.

Officers arrested Aune in the 6800 block of Grenwich Lane. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison and $5,000 in fines.

His initial appearance in court is scheduled at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22.