New Castle County Police are crediting a police dog with helping to capture a man who allegedly strangled his girlfriend and then barricaded himself inside his apartment.
Sunday, around 4:46 a.m., police responded to the Villas Apartment complex in New Castle, Delaware after a domestic dispute report. When police arrived, they were approached by a 22-year-old woman who claimed that her boyfriend Iran Willis, 19, strangled her during an argument.
Investigators say Willis had returned home from a party when an argument began between him and his girlfriend. During the argument, Willis allegedly grabbed the woman’s neck and began to choke her to the point where her breathing became restricted. As the woman tried to escape, police say Willis pushed her to the floor and began to choke her again. Willis then allegedly picked her up from the floor and pushed her out of the apartment. Investigators say three juvenile family members were inside the apartment during the incident.
Police say that Willis went back into the apartment while the three children were also inside. After demanding several times for Willis to surrender, investigators say police then forced their way into the apartment and secured the children. Willis, however, had locked himself inside the bedroom and refused to surrender, according to investigators.
Police forced their way inside the room and deployed K-9 police dog “Monty” onto the suspect. Police say Monty attacked Willis’ leg before officers took him into custody.
Willis was taken to Christiana Hospital where he was treated for his injuries and released. He is charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and two counts of strangulation. He was arraigned and released on $4,500 unsecured bond.
