A Penn Yan man is facing five criminal charges after police say he grabbed a victim by the neck and slammed her head into a door frame while the victim's two children were present. He also allegedly stopped her from calling 911. Alexander M. Bates was taken into custody on September 25 following an investigation into a domestic incident, and he was being held at the Yates County Jail awaiting arraignment.
According to Newport Dispatch, Penn Yan Police investigated the domestic incident before arresting Bates and transporting him first to the Penn Yan Police Department and then to the Yates County Jail. Police said Bates grabbed the victim by the neck and pushed her head into a door frame multiple times in front of the victim's two children. Bates also allegedly took her phone and prevented her from contacting emergency services.
Bates was charged with aggravated family offense, third-degree assault, fourth-degree criminal mischief, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. He remained in custody at the Yates County Jail as he awaited arraignment, the same report notes.
A Similar Case From 2020
This is not the first time Bates has faced domestic violence charges in Penn Yan. Back in April 2020, he was arrested by Penn Yan Police following a separate domestic incident investigation, according to The Evening Tribune. In that case, police alleged he head-butted a female victim and struck her multiple times, causing bruises and a cut, with the altercations also occurring in front of two children.
The 2020 case included additional allegations that Bates held the woman in their residence against her will and broke multiple items that did not belong to him, per the Tribune's report. He was charged at the time with third-degree criminal mischief, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, unlawful imprisonment, third-degree assault, second-degree harassment, and criminal possession of marijuana. That report also noted Bates was on New York State parole at the time and was additionally charged on a parole violation warrant. It is not established whether the 2026 arrest involves the same victim, residence, or circumstances as the earlier case.
Yates County's New Push Against Domestic Violence
The arrest comes as Yates County has been tapped for a broader effort to address domestic and gender-based violence. The county was selected as one of five in New York State for a two-year Coordinated Community Response pilot program, according to fingerlakesdailynews.com.
The Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence published the 2024 New York State Gender-Based Violence Dashboard.
