A Spartanburg man was arrested Saturday after police say he assaulted his wife during a pair of incidents only hours apart. Michael Disantos, 68, now faces a charge of third-degree domestic violence and is being held at the Spartanburg County Detention Center pending a bond hearing.
Police first responded to the couple’s home on Boxwood Lane shortly after 3:50 p.m. The woman told officers her husband was intoxicated and became enraged after she smoked his last cigarette. She said the argument escalated because she had urged him to consider entering a rehab facility. According to the report, she told officers that Disantos attempted to hit her but missed possibly because of physical limitations from previous strokes.
Disantos denied trying to strike or threaten his wife. He told police he was angry because she drank his alcohol and smoked his cigarettes while refusing to give him access to either. Officers noted that Disantos tried several times to stand but could not, either from intoxication or the after-effects of past strokes. At that point, the woman told police she did not want to press charges and did not feel unsafe.
Just over an hour later, at 5:02 p.m., officers were called back to Boxwood Lane this time to a neighbor’s home for a second reported assault. The woman told responding officers that after the initial incident, she grabbed the car keys so she could drive to buy more cigarettes for her husband. According to the report, Disantos struck her in the nose, causing it to bleed. Officers observed bruising and redness on her face consistent with her account.
Police then returned to the couple’s home to speak with Disantos again. Officers said he smelled strongly of alcohol, and while he initially claimed his wife had taken the car keys to keep him from buying cigarettes, police reminded him that she was trying to prevent him from driving impaired. During the conversation, Disantos admitted to hitting her. Officers also noticed blood on his knuckles and drops of blood on the floor leading into the kitchen.
With visible injuries, a confession, and physical evidence at the scene, officers took Disantos into custody. He was transported to the Spartanburg County Detention Center, where he awaits a bond hearing. Police did not report any additional injuries or requests for medical treatment from the victim. The case remains under investigation as authorities review the circumstances surrounding both incidents.
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