Orem man charged in assault

He's accused of beating, nearly drowning woman

Published: Tuesday, Dec. 19 2006 12:00 a.m. MST

PROVO — Multiple charges were filed Monday against an Orem man accused of repeatedly punching his girlfriend and then holding her head underwater in a bathtub until she passed out.

Alonzo D. Mosley, 35, has been charged in 4th District Court with attempted murder, a first-degree felony, as well as tampering with a witness, a third-degree felony.

The charge of attempted murder is usually a second-degree felony, but the charge was pushed to a first-degree felony because of the extent of the victim's injuries, said Utah County prosecutor Chad Grunander.

The 37-year-old woman who was taken to the hospital with broken bones in her face has undergone surgery and is now recovering at home, said Provo Police Capt. Rick Healey.

It's not the first time Mosley has been accused of violent behavior.

According to court records, a Payson woman filed for a protective order against Mosley in 2000. In the documents, the woman said she was thrown against walls, cabinets and punched repeatedly in the face.

"(Mosley) and I have had a very physically violent history," she wrote. "In the last year I have been pushed ... spit on, disrespected in every way."

Mosley was also charged in 2000 in 4th District Court with misdemeanor simple assault and criminal mischief. He was accused of attacking the Payson woman who asked for the protective order.

The assault charge was dropped in exchange for a guilty plea to the criminal mischief charge. The charge was held in abeyance for 12 months, however, and was dismissed in May 2003.

In 1996, Mosley was also charged in Salt Lake County's 3rd District Court with two counts of attempted murder. However, the charges were dismissed in August of that same year.

Mosley will appear again in 4th District Court on the recent charges on Jan. 5.

The charges stem from an incident at Mosley's friend's house near 1100 S. State in Provo on Dec. 3. Neighbors called police when they heard screams. Police, after responding, found blood throughout the house.

The witness told police Mosley began hitting his girlfriend in the face. A man at the house during the altercation also told police Mosley told him he was going to kill the woman.

The girlfriend tried to lock herself in the bathroom, but Mosley broke in and began attacking her again, according to the police report.

He then held her head underwater until the friend forced the door open and fought to get Mosley off the woman, who looked dead, according to the police report.

The woman regained consciousness and was taken to the hospital with bite marks on her breast and head and broken bones in her face.

The man who helped her was not hurt.

After being booked into the Utah County Jail on $100,000 cash-only bail, Mosley allegedly called his friend several times from the jail and threatened him to not get anyone involved in the case, according to the police report.


E-mail: sisraelsen@desnews.com

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