Man accused of choking girlfriend in car

POST FALLS — A man is being held on $50,000 bail for allegedly choking his girlfriend while she was driving.

Kaleb A. Kalar, 26, of Post Falls, is charged with attempted strangulation, a felony.

Deputies with the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office responded Monday to a report that a car was stopped at a Post Falls intersection.

A man, later identified as Kalar, was allegedly standing on top of the car while a woman sat in the driver’s seat.

When police arrived at the scene, Kalar was standing up inside the vehicle, with his upper body through the open sunroof.

The woman, who she said was dating Kalar, told police she was driving when the couple began to argue.

During the verbal fight, Kalar allegedly lunged at the woman and grabbed her throat with both hands.

She said he then forced her to pull over, got out of the car and began jumping up and down on the hood.

The woman had red marks on her neck and hands, police said.

Kalar allegedly told police he put his hands on the woman’s neck and “applied force.”

Police said a current protective order issued in Pend Oreille County, Wash. forbids Kalar from contacting the woman.

District Judge Patrick McFadden ordered that Kalar be held on $50,000 bail.