A 32-year-old Greenville man is being held without bond at the Pitt County Detention Center after arrest warrants describe him choking his girlfriend, leaving scratches on her neck, and throwing a blunt object that left a knot on her head. Joshua Evans Jenkins was arrested by the Pitt County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday, Aug. 27, and now faces felony and misdemeanor charges tied to the alleged domestic violence incident.
According to WCTI, arrest warrants state that Jenkins squeezed the victim's neck and put his hands around her throat, leaving visible scratches. The warrants also allege he threw a blunt object that struck the victim's head hard enough to leave a knot. Investigators say Jenkins and the victim are in a current dating relationship, and that he intentionally detained her without her consent.
Jenkins is charged with assault by strangulation, assault on a female, misdemeanor domestic violence, and false imprisonment. He was taken to the Pitt County Detention Center and is scheduled to appear in court Friday in Pitt County.
Why No-Bond Holds Are Mandatory in Domestic Cases
Jenkins was held without bond. North Carolina law bars magistrates from setting bail during the first 48 hours after a domestic violence arrest. Under N.C. Gen. Stat. ยง 15A-534.1, a district court judge must first review the suspect's criminal history and assess the victim's safety before any release conditions can be set, according to the Manning Law Firm.
The felony strangulation charge against Jenkins is classified as a Class H felony under state law, carrying up to 39 months in prison upon conviction. Notably, North Carolina does not require severe or permanent injury for prosecutors to pursue a strangulation charge at the felony level, per the Beaver Courie law firm.
His assault on a female charge is a Class A1 misdemeanor, the most serious misdemeanor classification in North Carolina, applicable when an adult man assaults a woman and carrying up to 150 days in jail, according to the Browning & Long Law Firm. The false imprisonment count, meanwhile, is a Class 1 misdemeanor carrying up to 120 days in jail for intentionally and unlawfully restraining someone's movement without consent, as outlined by the Stowe Law Firm. These charges frequently arise in domestic disputes when one partner blocks another from leaving a room or building.
Part of a Broader Pattern in Pitt County
Jenkins' arrest is discussed alongside other reports, including a Hoodline article about a 45-year-old Greenville man jailed without bond over a break-in despite an existing protective order. State lawmakers have taken notice of the danger strangulation poses in these cases; Senate Bill 791, introduced during the 2025-2026 legislative session, would elevate assault by strangulation from a Class H to a Class G felony, reflecting the recognition among law enforcement and medical experts that non-fatal strangulation is a key indicator of escalating lethality in abusive relationships, per BillTrack50.
Resources for Domestic Violence Survivors in Pitt County
Victims of domestic violence in the area have several local support options. The Pitt County Sheriff's Office has victim advocates, according to the Pitt County Sheriff's Office. The Greenville Police Department also has victim advocates who assist survivors with domestic-violence protective orders.
The Center for Family Violence Prevention in Greenville offers support services; its main office number is 252-758-4400, while its crisis hotline is 252-752-3811. Emergency domestic violence housing and the risk of survivors falling into sudden homelessness after fleeing abuse are also discussed more generally.
