RUSTON, La. (KTVE/KARD) — Around 2 AM last Monday, Ruston Police arrested a man after investigating a domestic violence incident on Fisher Street. Officers responded to an anonymous call reporting a woman crying and screaming inside an apartment.
As officers were going to the scene, another caller said a white SUV was leaving the apartment complex, driving at a high speed. The suspected vehicle was located nearby and stopped, and authorities made contact with the victim.
The victim said 51-year-old Joseph J. Pizzini had strangled her and beaten their 13-year-old son. Authorities observed a large lump in the center of the woman’s forehand and hand marks around her neck. The victim informed officers that she had allegedly been strangled until she was no longer conscious.
Pizzini was located at the apartment and taken into custody. Pizzini stated that the victim slipped on some liquid on the floor and that he never touched her or the child. He was booked for domestic abuse, battery with strangulation and child endangerment, and domestic abuse of a child with a set bond of $75,000.
