Cape man accused of choking woman, threatening suicide or homicide

Anthony Tyler Sample, 38, of Cape Girardeau is accused of choking a woman Saturday.

Sample was arrested by Cape Girardeau police and charged with felony second-degree domestic assault.

The victim told police she and Sample went into a bedroom to not argue in front of children, according to a probable-cause statement. They had been a couple for about eight months.

The altercation became physical when Sample pushed her onto the bed and began to choke her, the victim told police.

At one point, one of the children came into the room and told Sample to stop hurting the woman. The victim tried to calm the child in another room. At that point, Sample grabbed the victim and told her she had 20 seconds to get back into the bedroom, or there would be a suicide or a homicide at the residence, the victim and a witness said, according to the statement.

Police arrived on the scene soon after, about 4:30 p.m.

Police arrested Sample because of corroborating reports from the witness and the victim. Sample told police he moved to another room to continue the argument, but he said he never placed his hands on the victim. He said the witness mistook him throwing clothes in the closet for choking the victim. He said the victim was lying.

Sample’s bond was set at $25,000 cash or surety with the condition he have no contact with the victim and not come within 500 feet of her residence or place of employment.