Two minors are facing assault charges in Clifton Park after deputies say one of them choked a victim into unconsciousness while the other punched and slapped them, leaving the victim with a black eye and a head injury. Both were released to their parents' custody as the case moves into Saratoga County Family Court.
Deputies Responded to an Assault Call in Late October
According to the Saratoga County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to an assault call in Clifton Park on October 23. The investigation that followed led to the arrest of two minors on separate charges tied to the same incident, the sheriff's office said.
One of the minors was charged with second-degree strangulation, a class D felony. That minor is accused of applying pressure to the victim's throat or neck in a way that impeded normal breathing or blood circulation, causing the victim to lose consciousness, per the sheriff's office. The second minor was charged with third-degree assault, a class A misdemeanor, and is accused of intentionally injuring the victim by punching and slapping them.
Victim Left With Bruising and a Head Injury
The victim sustained bruising to the eye and a contusion to the head, the sheriff's office reported. Both minors were released to their parents' custody pending proceedings in Saratoga County Family Court, where juvenile cases are typically handled outside the public criminal court system.
Family Court matters involving minors generally proceed differently than adult criminal cases, and the sheriff's office has not released additional details about the circumstances leading up to the alleged assault.
Other Recent Assault Cases in Saratoga County
This is not the only case this year in which a minor in the area has faced a serious assault charge. In September, WNYT reported that a Clifton Park minor was arrested on a second-degree assault charge after deputies responded to a separate assault call on August 23, with the victim in that case said to be a person aged 65 or older who was allegedly struck repeatedly and fell to the ground several times. In July, the station also reported that two minors in Milton were arrested after allegedly attacking each other and causing injuries, following a stabbing report the sheriff's office responded to on July 6.
Strangulation charges have surfaced in other recent Saratoga County cases involving adults as well. In September 2023, a Clifton Park man, Matthew D. Sand, was charged with felony second-degree strangulation and misdemeanor third-degree assault following a welfare check call, according to CBS6 Albany. Separately, NEWS10 reported that Ronald Kochon, 56, of Ballston Lake, was charged with second-degree strangulation, third-degree assault, and endangering the welfare of a child after allegedly choking a child under 17.
The sheriff's office has not provided additional updates on the Clifton Park case involving the two minors beyond the charges and the victim's injuries, and the matter now proceeds through Saratoga County Family Court.
