West Virginia man wanted for strangulation, abduction after assaulting estranged wife in Radford, police say

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