Charles Chronister, 49, of Ridgeway, was arrested early Wednesday morning after deputies responded to a domestic violence call at a home on County Road 121.
According to the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to the home around 1:43 a.m. after a woman called 911 and reported that Chronister had assaulted her before leaving in a red Ford pickup truck.
When deputies arrived, the woman said an argument started after Chronister accused her of abusing pills. She told deputies that he followed her through the house, pushed her into a wall, and broke a picture frame hanging in the kitchen. She also said he grabbed her by the face and pushed her to the ground.
Deputies observed the broken picture frame and saw injuries to the woman, including a black eye and a cut inside her lip. She refused medical treatment.
A 17-year-old witness told deputies she saw Chronister hit the woman in the mouth, grab her face, and push her into a wall and then onto the floor. The witness then called 911.
Another person at the home said she did not see the incident but found the woman lying on the kitchen floor afterward.
While deputies were at the home, Chronister called the woman’s cellphone. He spoke with deputies but would not tell them where he was.
Deputies later found Chronister’s pickup truck at another property on County Road 121. After searching the area, they found him hiding inside a parked tow truck. He was taken into custody without incident.
According to the report, Chronister told deputies the argument started after he found pills he believed belonged to the woman and flushed them down the toilet. He claimed the woman poured soda on him and hit him with a picture frame. He admitted to grabbing her by the face.
Deputies also learned that Chronister had a previous domestic battery conviction in Illinois.
Chronister was taken to the Logan County Jail and charged with fourth-degree felony domestic violence. The case has been sent to the Logan County Prosecutor’s Office and Logan County Children Services for review.
