Brecke

BUCKHANNON — An Upshur County man faces felony assault charges after allegedly striking a woman with a helmet, repeatedly hitting her in the head with his fist and strangling her.

Robert Elliot Brecke, 57, is charged with strangulation and malicious or unlawful assault, both felonies. He is currently being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $30,000 cash-only bond.

According to the criminal complaint, filed by Trooper C.C. Jones with the West Virginia State Police, on July 20, Jones responded to a “domestic disturbance” on Silica Drive in Buckhannon. Upon arrival, Jones made contact with the alleged victim, who stated that Brecke had “struck her multiple times” starting on the night of July 19.

The alleged victim told Jones that Brecke had thrown a helmet at her, striking her in the left arm, the complaint states. Brecke allegedly then got on top of the alleged victim, “putting his elbow on her throat and covering her nose and mouth with his hand.”

The alleged victim told Jones that she had been unable to breath and felt a “pop in her neck” as she tried to get away from Brecke, the complaint states. After the alleged victim scratched Brecke’s face near his eye, Brecke reportedly released her.

According to the complaint, the alleged victim told Jones that, on the morning of July 20, Brecke began striking her several times in the head with his fist as she was lying in bed. Brecke also allegedly tried to strike the alleged victim with a metal wrench. The alleged victim told Jones that, at point, she lost consciousness for an unknown period of time after being struck in the head, but she was not sure what Brecke had hit her with.

Jones writes in the complaint that he observed “two areas of swelling” on the alleged victim’s head and a large metal wrench on the floor between the residences’ kitchen and living room.

Jones was shown a time-stamped video the alleged victim had recorded that showed Brecke in the bedroom as she laid in bed, the complaint states. Brecke can allegedly be heard in the video saying, “If you’ve got my Harley jacket, I’m going to kill you now, b***h,” before lunging at the alleged victim.

According to the complaint, Brecke had fled the scene before Jones arrived, and the alleged victim was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Brecke for Aug. 7 in Upshur County Magistrate Court.