RADFORD, Va. (WFXR) — Police are on the lookout for a West Virginia man after his estranged wife says he assaulted and attempted to strangle her in a Radford home over the weekend.
According to the Radford Police Department, officers were dispatched at 12:07 a.m. on Sunday, June 28 to a residence in the 300 block of Fairfax Street for a report of a man trying to fight with another person.
When officers arrived on scene, the department says they found a woman who reported her estranged husband — identified as 36-year-old Dennis Ray Blankenship, Jr. of Bluefield, West Virginia — made unwanted sexual advances towards her. When she rejected him, Blankenship became angry, slammed her against a wall, and put his hand on her throat, police say.
Even after the woman freed herself, Blankenship reportedly blocked her from leaving the home twice before she managed to escape to a neighbor’s home and contact emergency services. However, Blankenship ran away before police arrived.
The department says Blankenship is currently wanted for misdemeanor domestic assault and battery, felony strangulation, and felony abduction. An Emergency Protective Order has also been issued, police say.
According to authorities, Blankenship is 5’11” tall, weighs 185 pounds, and has black hair and hazel eyes. Blankenship reportedly has connections in both West Virginia and the New River Valley.
“It is not known whether Blankenship is armed or not but he should be considered dangerous,” the Radford City Police Department stated in a news release on Monday, June 29. “He refused to turn himself in when requested by Police.”
If you have any information about Blankenship’s whereabouts, contact the Radford Police Department Crime Line at (540) 731-5040 or crimestoppers@radfordva.gov.
Latest Stories
- Tracking the Tropics: Tropical Storm Fay moving toward Atlantic coast with 60 mph winds
- “I may have hurt my girlfiend.” New details in 20 hour standoff with Roanoke man accused of abduction, malicious wounding of Roanoke County woman
- Two University of Virginia football players test positive for COVID-19
- Washington and Lee University won’t compete in athletics during the fall
- House Dems urge Senate lawmakers to review police reform bill
Get breaking news, weather, and sports delivered to your smartphone with the WFXR News app available on Apple and Android.
