Man arrested for allegedly attacking woman in her house

RIGBY — A 32-year-old man was arrested after a woman reported that he came into her house and attacked her in a bedroom.

Zachary Wadsworth is charged with felony attempted strangulation, felony battery domestic violence, and misdemeanor intentional destruction of a telecommunication line.

According to court documents, Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies were called to a home on Feb. 17 around 10:40 p.m. after a report of a domestic disturbance.

The victim reportedly said that Wadsworth, who is known to her, had entered her home and attacked her. Police reports say Wadsworth lived in the home part-time but was not supposed to be there on Feb. 17.

When deputies arrived, they saw a blue Ford F-150 parked on the road with its lights off, which they confirmed belonged to Wadsworth. Deputies say the truck was “parked down the street away from the home,” which they say “was out of the norm, and the driveway was empty.”

In the garage, deputies found Wadsworth arguing with another man, identified as one of the victim’s family members.

Deputies write in the report that Wadsworth “was under the influence of (an) alcoholic beverage” and noticed he was “slurring his speech” and smelled of alcohol. Wadsworth admitted to drinking alcohol before coming to the home.

He also admitted to confronting the victim when he arrived and to being in a “physical altercation with her.” According to Wadsworth, he had “pushed (the victim) and put her in a headlock” because he was being attacked.

Deputies say Wadsworth had “no injuries that were consistent with (the victim) being the aggressor” but that he did have one scratch on each of his forearms that “appear to be from a fingernail.”

The deputies then detained Wadsworth while they spoke to several children who were in the home during the incident. One of the children stated that they heard a commotion in the victim’s bedroom and heard her yell, “Let go of me.” The victim yelled to the children to run to the neighbor’s house and ask for help, and they did.

One of the children stated that they felt “panicked and scared from the “pure wrath in (Wadsworth’s) voice and the utter terror and desperation in (the victims) voice.”

Another child said they did not see Wadsworth’s car in the driveway and thought Wadsworth was “trying to be sneaky.”

Deputies then spoke to the neighbor, who said when he arrived at the home, he saw Wadsworth holding the victim from behind by wrapping his arms around her shoulders. He also stated that Wadsworth wouldn’t return the victim’s phone to her.

The victim then recounted to deputies what allegedly happened. She stated that she was in bed when her bedroom door opened, and Wadsworth “immediately attacked her” and “demanded her phone.”

Wadsworth reportedly hit the victim with a closed fist to the head several times, slapped her head with an open hand, and slammed her head against the door and wall.

The victim says Wadsworth put her in a “choke hold” and was able to “lift her off the ground by her neck and her feet were not touching the floor.” She told deputies she “began to see ‘stars’ and her vision was the color gray.” She also stated that she was close to being unconscious.

Deputies noticed the victim had red marks on her face, a bloody lip, and red spots in and around her eyes, on her cheeks, and behind her ears, which is consistent with attempted strangulation.

The victim said the attack stopped when their neighbor walked in, and claimed that Wadsworth “absolutely knew that children were (in the home) and heard their pleas to stop the incident.”

While searching the house, deputies reportedly found multiple broken items from the incident, including a broken master bath toilet seat, a ripped-out dog gate, drywall damage, bent metal brackets, and broken fasteners.

Deputies also say things in the bedroom were knocked over, and they found a clump of hair on the floor of the bathroom that the victim stated was from the fight.

Wadsworth’s truck was then searched, where deputies reportedly found an open Coors Light beer can.

Wadsworth was arrested and transported to the Jefferson County Jail on a $30,000 bond. He posted bail and was released on Feb. 18, and a no-contact order was issued for the victim.

He is expected to appear for a preliminary hearing on March 13. If convicted, he could face up to 35 and a half years in prison.

Though Wadsworth has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.