Grapeland Man Faces Four Charges Related to Domestic Disturbance

By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter

GRAPELAND – A 28-year-old Grapeland man was arrested and charged with four criminal offenses stemming from a domestic disturbance on Tuesday, Aug. 15.

LeDerris Montel Davis was taken into custody on Tuesday evening and booked into the Houston County Jail on charges of:  assault causing bodily injury to a family member/date; unlawful restraint; child endangerment; and preventing a person from placing an emergency call for assistance.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, Davis and his girlfriend (the victim) had a verbal altercation on Aug. 15 inside of their home on Spence Circle in Grapeland.

As the verbal sparring intensified, the affidavit indicated the victim attempted to retrieve her infant child and leave the residence. Davis, however, blocked her exit and would not let her leave.

“As the victim continued to try and leave, the defendant (Davis) struck the victim in the face with a closed fist, causing pain and swelling to her right eye. The defendant then grabbed the victim by the right wrist and threw her down on the bed. The victim suffered swelling and bruising in the area of her right wrist as a result of the assault,” the affidavit reported.

The affidavit indicated the victim “… was in imminent fear of further bodily injury and attempted to call 911 for help on her cell phone. The defendant, however, took her cell phone away from her and pushed the victim to the floor.”

The victim gathered up her child and attempted to regain possession of her phone in an effort to leave the residence.

Davis blocked her exit once again, but eventually, the victim was able to make it out of the residence with her child, after she eluded Davis.

“The defendant chased the victim down and began trying to wrestle her back into the house while the victim was holding her infant child,” the affidavit stated.

The police narrative indicated at this point the victim felt helpless to escape and rather than risk injury to her child, she returned to the residence with Davis to try and reason with him and get her phone back.

“Finally,” the affidavit stated, “Davis threw the victim’s phone to the floor, destroying it and thereby rendering it unusable to place an emergency call.”

Davis then told the victim she could have her phone, since it was now unusable, and added she could leave, the legal document stated. At that point, the victim gathered up her child once again – along with the pieces of the broken phone – left the residence and fled to a neighbor’s residence where she called 911.

Davis was apprehended a short time later, arrested and transported to the Houston County Jail where he was booked into custody on the charges of: assault causing bodily injury to a family member/date; unlawful restraint; child endangerment; and preventing a person from placing an emergency call for assistance.

Under Texas state law, child endangerment is considered a state jail felony. According to Section 12.35 of the Texas Penal Code, “An individual adjudged guilty of a state jail felony shall be punished by confinement in a state jail for any term of not more than two years or less than 180 days. In addition to confinement, an individual adjudged guilty of a state jail felony may be punished by a fine not to exceed $10,000.”

The other three charges are all considered as class “A” misdemeanors. According to Section 12.21 of the Texas Penal Code, “An individual adjudged guilty of a Class A misdemeanor shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $4,000; confinement in jail for a term not to exceed one year; or both such fine and confinement.”

Davis is held in the Houston County Jail and his total bond has been set at $8,500.

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].