BARRE — A Montpelier man has been held without bail for allegedly violating probation that he was placed on for a domestic assault conviction.
Zachary Pearce, 35, denied the violation Monday in Washington County criminal court. Pearce was ordered held at Northeast Correctional Complex in St. Johnsbury.
He pleaded guilty in May to a misdemeanor count of domestic assault and was placed on probation for nine months. Pearce was facing a felony count of first-degree aggravated domestic assault, but the charge was amended by the state per the plea agreement.
In that case, Barre Town Police Officer Leonardo de Prato wrote in an affidavit that a woman called police in February to report Pearce had punched her and thrown her down a flight of stairs. De Prato said he arrived on the scene and found the victim crying.
He said she reported Pearce had punched her in the back of the head and threw her down the stairs. She told de Prato she and Pearce had gotten into an argument that turned physical.
De Prato said Pearce told him the victim had attacked him and punched him in the face. De Prato noted he didn’t see any injuries on Pearce.
He said Pearce gave a preliminary breath test that showed he had a blood alcohol content of 0.115%.
For the probation violation, probation officer Julie Cadorette said in her affidavit she received a call from Montpelier police stating they had Pearce in protective custody because he was drunk. Cadorette said police reported they were called to Pearce’s home because he jumped out of a two-story window. She said police reported they found Pearce hiding in a closet.
Cadorette said the victim in the domestic assault case was with Pearce and she reported he had pushed her into a door. She said Pearce’s conditions of probation include not drinking alcohol to the point that it interferes with his or anyone else’s welfare. He is also barred from engaging in threatening or violent behavior.
eric.blaisdell @timesargus.com
