A Pittsburgh man is wanted after police issued an arrest warrant accusing him of punching, choking and holding his ex-girlfriend against her will for several days. The woman allegedly escaped only after convincing him to walk outside with her in Marshall-Shadeland.
Michael Danko, 38, faces assault, kidnapping and strangulation charges, according to online court records reviewed by WPXI. The criminal complaint says Danko’s former girlfriend initially agreed to spend time with him in an abandoned home last Sunday.
When she tried to leave the next day, the woman told police that Danko punched her and choked her until she passed out. Police later observed a bruise over her eye and marks around her neck, according to the report.
The woman told investigators that Danko took her phone and kept her there until last Wednesday. She reportedly persuaded him to step outside, then screamed for help after recognizing someone she knew in a passing vehicle and climbed inside, as detailed by WPXI.
Kidnapping And Strangulation Charges Carry Serious Weight
Under Pennsylvania law, kidnapping can include unlawfully confining someone for a substantial period in an isolated place with the intent to hold the person hostage, cause bodily injury or terrorize the victim. The offense is generally graded as a first-degree felony, according to the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
The state’s strangulation law covers intentionally impeding another person’s breathing or blood circulation by applying pressure to the throat or neck, and it says physical injury is not required for the offense. The allegations against Danko have not been proven in court, and he is presumed innocent unless found guilty.
