A Belleville, Illinois man is under federal indictment for a grim incident at the Gateway Arch National Park. Darrion Lamont Evans, aged 20, has been charged with assault by strangulation and two counts of interstate domestic violence, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri reported. The allegations state that Evans assaulted his girlfriend, coercing her across state lines and then attacking her on National Park grounds.
According to the indictment, made public on Wednesday, the incident unfolded on April 28. Evans, pleaded not guilty in a court appearance Thursday to the charges brought against him. Found by National Park Rangers in a parked vehicle, the victim reportedly had been hit and strangled by Evans, who, according to a motion obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office, brought her from Belleville to the Arch without knowledge or consent.
It's important to note that an indictment is not a testament of guilt; it is a formal accusation. Evans is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Each count against Evans, if he is convicted, could lead to a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
Evans awaits trial, with a motion seeking to have him held in jail suggesting the gravity of the charges laid upon him.
