Posted by Phil Lee (216.250.238.61) on April 02, 2002 at 08:10:
Dembrow charged in domestic dispute
SARA MICHAEL & WHITNEY L. JACKSON, Journal staff writers, 02-Apr-02
A Silver Spring delegate has been arrested and charged with assault for allegedly slapping his wife during an argument in their home, Montgomery County police said.
About 6:40 p.m. Sunday, police responded to the home of Del. Dana L. Dembrow in the 2900 block of Schubert Drive to investigate a report of a domestic dispute.
Suzette Dembrow told police she and her husband were arguing when he struck her across the face with an open palm, police said.
The alleged slap caused a cut on her nose and her eye sockets were swollen and discolored, police spokesman Officer Derek Baliles said Monday.
Dana Dembrow told police his wife slapped him first with an open palm, and he then struck her in return. In a statement released by his Annapolis office, Dembrow said the argument stemmed from a relationship dispute.
``We both have been under extreme stress recently in connection with several uncertain aspects of our future," he said.
Suzette Dembrow was taken by ambulance to Laurel Regional Hospital in Laurel, and photographs were taken of her and her husband.
Dembrow was charged with second-degree assault, a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum of $2,500 fine and 10 years in jail.
``It's a serious matter for Mr. Dembrow. ... We treat domestic assault very seriously," Baliles said. ``We look for the primary aggressor and then charge those people appropriately."
Dembrow, a 15-year Democratic member of the House of Delegates, is known in the General Assembly for his outspoken nature and blunt style of speaking. He is up for re-election this November and is considering a run for an open Senate seat in a new district in Montgomery County.
In a statement, Dana Dembrow apologized to his wife and the people of Maryland, saying it was a horrific and regrettable incident.
``My family is devastated by this occurrence, and we face an incredibly uncertain future," he said. ``My primary concern at this very difficult time is for the welfare of my two children and my spouse."
Although Suzette Dembrow declined to discuss the details, she described it as an ``unfortunate incident."
``He has apologized to me and his office, and we're trying to let it go and move on," she said.
If Suzette Dembrow requests, the charges can be dropped, but Baliles said police work closely with domestic violence victims to stress the importance of prosecuting the crime.
He said if the case is prosecuted, a judge can impose domestic violence classes on the defendant.
``We will try to pursue the charges because they are of such a serious nature," he said.