Wanted man accused of beating wife

POST FALLS — A man is being held on $500,000 bail after police said he attacked his wife.

The 37-year-old Post Falls man is charged with domestic battery, a felony. He also faces a misdemeanor domestic assault charge from an incident that reportedly occurred in November, as well as a persistent violator enhancement.

Police responded around 6 a.m. on Sunday to a report of a domestic dispute at a Post Falls residence.

Officers contacted the man’s wife. Her eye was swollen shut, police said, and her lips were cut and swollen. She reportedly had blood on her clothes.

A family member told police the couple had argued and he saw the man punch and kick the woman. Police said the man’s knuckles were swollen.

Police arrested the man at the scene.

Court records show he was wanted on a warrant issued in December, when he failed to appear in court after he was cited for domestic battery. He was also reportedly wanted on a warrant out of Spokane County.

A no contact order was in place between the man and his wife in both cases, according to court documents.

The man was previously convicted of voluntary manslaughter and assault on an officer in Canyon County in 2009.

In Idaho, a third felony conviction is punishable by a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum life sentence.

Judge Ross Pittman ordered Tuesday that the man be held on $500,000 bail and issued a no contact order between the man and woman.

The Press is not naming the suspect at this time because that would reveal the identity of the victim. The Press tries to protect the privacy of victims.