A 30-year-old York City man is being held on $75,000 bail after police say he grabbed a woman by the neck, threw her against a wall and floor, and kicked her in the face and body during a domestic dispute. Ronaldo Aguero-Jimenez now faces a felony aggravated assault charge, along with a misdemeanor simple assault count, following the alleged attack inside an apartment in the 1300 block of West Market Street.
According to court documents cited by the York Daily Record, the alleged dispute happened on Oct. 18. The woman did not contact police until Oct. 21, three days later, the newspaper reports. She told police that Aguero-Jimenez grabbed her by the neck and threw her against a wall, then grabbed her by the arms and threw her onto the floor before kicking her in the face and body, according to the court documents.
Police said they observed injuries consistent with her account, including a recent injury to the inside of her bottom lip, bruising on both arms and bruising on her right thigh. The woman also told investigators that Aguero-Jimenez broke her phone to keep her from calling 911, the outlet reports.
Bail Set, Hearing Scheduled Next Month
Aguero-Jimenez had his bail set at $75,000 on Oct. 22 and was placed in York County Prison, per the same account. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Nov. 5.
The felony charge against Aguero-Jimenez falls under Pennsylvania's aggravated assault statute, which makes a person guilty of the offense if they attempt to cause serious bodily injury or cause such injury intentionally, knowingly or recklessly under circumstances showing extreme indifference to human life, according to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Aggravated assault charged under that specific subsection is classified as a felony of the first degree. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has held that the use or attempted use of physical force is not actually an element required to prove aggravated assault under that provision.
A Broader Pattern in York County
Cases like this one surface against a backdrop of rising civil protection filings statewide. New Protection from Abuse orders filed across Pennsylvania increased by 3% in 2023 compared with the prior year, according to the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, which describes a Protection from Abuse order as a civil court order meant to protect victims of domestic violence from an intimate partner, family member or household member.
The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that 119 victims died from domestic violence incidents in Pennsylvania last year, and that roughly 1 in 4 men in the United States will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. The organization also notes that about 20% of pregnant people experience violence during pregnancy, and that the state's Lethality Assessment Program has completed 43,318 assessments since 2012.
York County has figured prominently in that statewide picture before. A 2024 report noted the county represented about 4% of Pennsylvania's statewide total of new Protection from Abuse cases filed in 2023 and ranked among the 10 counties with the highest number of such orders statewide.
Where To Find Help
Anyone in York County seeking confidential domestic violence help can reach YWCA Access York & Victim Assistance Center at 717-846-5400, 717-476-3671 or toll-free at 800-262-8444. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can also be reached at 800-799-7233.
