A 35-year-old Philadelphia man is facing felony charges after police say he strangled a man at the victim's place of work inside a Montgomeryville technology warehouse, punched and kicked him, took his phone from his hand, and threatened to kill him if he sought help. Bekhruzi Muboraksho was arrested last week and was committed to jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
According to North Penn Now, Montgomery Township police responded to Dow Technologies at 120 Keystone Drive in Montgomeryville at 2:59 p.m. on October 21 after a report of an assault. Police say the victim told investigators that Muboraksho put his hand around his neck, preventing him from breathing, and threatened to kill him if he called anyone for help.
Police Describe a Prolonged, Violent Attack
Investigators allege the assault did not stop once the victim was restrained. According to the police affidavit cited in the North Penn Now report, Muboraksho put his knee on the victim's chest to prevent him from getting up, then continued punching and kicking him. Police say he also took the victim's phone from his hand and hit him in the head.
Police say the victim had abrasions around his neck and lacerations on the top of his head. The station's report, compiled using public court records, notes that Muboraksho was arrested two days later, on October 23.
Arrest and Charges
Muboraksho was arraigned that same morning at 9:30 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Karen Eisner Zucker, per the same account. He was charged with felony aggravated assault, strangulation and unlawful restraint, along with misdemeanor counts of simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, harassment, disorderly conduct and sending terrorist threats.
He was committed to Montgomery County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail. Court documents indicate a Court of Common Pleas judge issued nonmonetary conditions of release on October 26. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 3 at 10 a.m., which Magisterial District Judge Andrea Hudak Duffy is set to preside over.
What Pennsylvania's Strangulation Law Requires
Under Pennsylvania law, a person commits strangulation by knowingly or intentionally impeding another person's breathing or blood circulation by applying pressure to the throat or neck or blocking the nose and mouth, according to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Notably, the statute specifies that inflicting a physical injury on the victim is not required to establish the offense — meaning prosecutors do not need to prove lasting harm for the strangulation charge itself to apply. The law, added to the state's criminal code through a 2016 amendment, generally classifies a strangulation violation as a second-degree misdemeanor, with specified circumstances potentially elevating the offense.
As with any pending criminal case, Muboraksho is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. No details regarding a defense response have been made public, and the case's next scheduled step remains the preliminary hearing early next week.
