BREAKING NEWS: Linton man arrested on stalking, strangulation charges

Three warrants were issued Friday for the arrest of Travis L. Scales, 26, of Linton in connection with preliminary charges of stalking, strangulation and invasion of privacy.

The warrant was served and Scales was booked into the Greene County Jail at 2:56 p.m. Friday.

On Friday, one count of class D felony strangulation was added to the domestic battery case filed earlier in January.

Two other new cases were also filed Friday. In one, the preliminary charges against Scales include stalking, a class D felony, and invasion of privacy, a class A misdemeanor. In the other, the preliminary charge is invasion of privacy, a class A misdemeanor.

Scales was arrested earlier this month after Linton police officers responded to a report of a domestic battery around 11:23 a.m. on Jan. 5. When they arrived a female victim stated she and Scales had been in an argument and Scales had thrown her phone then grabbed her by the hat of her hoodie and pulled her to the ground.

Scales allegedly then placed his forearm to her throat and began to cut off her air supply and asked her if she wanted to die. After she was able to get up and the phone rang, she was able to get out of the residence and went to a neighbor's house.

Scales was located, interviewed, arrested by LPD Officer Karl Jacobshagen and transported to the Greene County Jail. Det. Sgt. Duane Collenbaugh and Reserve Officer Kyle Butler also responded to the scene.

A charge of domestic battery, a class A misdemeanor, was filed against him in Greene Superior Court.

Scales was released from the jail the next day after posting $1,000 bond. As a condition of the bond, a no-contact order was issued ordering Scales to refrain from any direct or indirect contact with the victim.

Then on Wednesday of this week, officers were dispatched to the victim's residence around 5:28 a.m. because Scales was beating on the back door. When LPD Officer Jayson E. Smith arrived, Scales had left but the victim and another female resident said Scales had also been calling their phones. They showed him their cell phones displaying Scales name and times when he had called. They said Scales had been beating on the door and banging on the side of their trailer and they were fearful that he would come back and do harm to them.

Early on Friday, officers were again dispatched to the victim's residence - at 6:05 a.m. When Cpl. Paul F. Clark, II, arrived, he was told Scales had pulled up in a blue Dodge Neon in front of the victim's house, stayed for a few minutes then pulled away. A few minutes later, the vehicle allegedly returned, and stopped again. When the two residents looked out, they said they saw Scales standing in the roadway. He appeared to be taking pictures of the vehicles parked in the driveway.

According to one of the probable cause affidavits filed, the victim fears Scales will continue to harass her and she is frightened.

Clark noted in one affidavit that the no-contact order was served to Scales on Jan. 12 and was valid and in effect at the time of these incidents.