Casper Police Arrest Man for Domestic Battery
A Casper man was arrested Monday after arguing with his ex-girlfriend and then allegedly attacking her.
Michael Lynes, 46, was booked into jail on a recommended charge of domestic battery. He will likely make his initial appearance in Natrona County Circuit Court at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Charging documents say an officer was sent to a home on North McKinley shortly before 1:30 p.m. Monday to conduct a welfare check. A man who had been video-chatting with the alleged victim was concerned that her roommate -- Lynes, who was her ex-boyfriend -- was beating her up.
Three adults and two children were in the home when the officer arrived. The alleged victim had several streaks of what appeared to be someone else's blood on her arms and face. The victim also reportedly had a small scrape on her right arm and left forearm.
Lynes had a large red mark on his chest and one finger on his right hand had been cut.
The victim was distraught and crying as she spoke with the officer, and she had difficulty remembering the sequence of events.
The victim said she had been living with Lynes, who she identified as her boyfriend, for some 11 months. On Monday, Lynes returned from the grocery store and the victim removed the change from Lynes's coat pocket.
Lynes then allegedly accused the victim of stealing two rings from him, as they had been his pocket and he couldn't find them after the victim removed the change.
The victim said she went into the front bedroom, where Lynes began to smash several items -- including a dresser -- as he searched for the missing rings. The victim said Lynes grabbed her by her hair and throat, asking for her tablet.
Lynes eventually found the victim's tablet and smashed it, shattering the screen. The victim said she had been using the tablet to ask her friend -- the man who called police -- for a ride to leave the home when Lynes smashed the tablet.
They were wrestling over the tablet when Lynes grabbed it away from her, the victim told police, and the victim had hurt her hip when Lynes "slammed her to the ground." Their roommate, who had taken the victim's children into her room to get away from the altercation, came out at that point and told Lynes to calm down.
The alleged victim told police that Lynes later threw a ceramic mug, which hit her in the ear and then shattered. Lynes also allegedly threw dresser drawers at the victim, hitting her in the right arm and left forearm.
Lynes told police that he had a pair of gold and diamond rings which went missing after the victim took the change out of his coat pocket. He said he went into the front bedroom to look for them because the victim "hides things" in that bedroom.
Lynes also reportedly said he believed the victim was talking to other men and being unfaithful. He felt that if she was going to take his rings, he would take her tablet.
Police photographed injuries to both the victim and Lynes. Lynes was arrested.
The victim refused victim services, saying she would be packing her property and leaving the home.