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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spokane man accused of strangling wife, assaulting man for ‘rude’ remarks toward women

Matthew M. Childress called the police in July to report a man for making sexual comments toward two women at Corbin Park in Spokane.

But it was a report of an unconcious man who had been assaulted at the park that brought police to the scene, court documents state. The man had fractures in his nose and face, and witnesses at the park said they saw a man who looked like Childress striking him.

“The guy was being rude,” Childress, 36, told the police over the phone, according to court documents. But he denied being involved in the assault.

While awaiting trial for a second-degree assault charge for that case in October, police say Childress violated a protection order from his wife and assaulted her after he found out she had been at a bar with her male friends.

The woman told police she met Childress outside his apartment after he asked to meet the men she was with, court documents say. She went up to the apartment with Childress, where she said he punched and kicked her in the torso, arms, legs and head.

He also grabbed her neck two or three times, she said, squeezing until she couldn’t breathe, according to court documents. She said she felt dizzy while being strangled and thought Childress was going to kill her. She told police Childress had previously kicked a woman in the face and punched a child in the face, in addition to assaulting a man at a park.

Police reviewed text messages between Childress and the woman from earlier that day showing he insulted her, as well as messages from the following day showing him blame her for the incident, according to court documents.

Childress is being held in Spokane County Jail on a $200,000 bond for the two assault charges, court records indicate. He is also awaiting trial on misdemeanor assault, harassment and cyberstalking charges. He was previously convicted of assault with a weapon in Montana in 2017.

Childress’ next hearing in Spokane County Superior Court is scheduled for Dec. 31.