A Bristol man was charged Wednesday by police for allegedly breaking his girlfriend’s jaw, burning her with a cigarette and shooting a pellet at the victim’s pet dog. 

Matthew Reiser, who will turn 32 next week, was arraigned by Judge Frank W. Peranteau Sr, last Tuesday for the alleged battering of his “girlfriend” and aggravated cruelty to animals. 

According to the criminal complaint, police were dispatched to the 500 block of Swain Street, just before 11 p.m on November on November 25 for a possible domestic dispute. Police noted the caller was a female. 

Upon arriving on scene, police were met by Reiser at the front door and told police they were not needed and that everything was ok. The officer on scene asked to speak with the women in the house, and Reiser was reluctant to do so. 

The victim came outside, with police noting she and the suspect were observably intoxicated, according to court records. While speaking with the victim, police noticed a large bump on the left side of her face, in the area of her cheek. Police asked if she was ok, she said she was and declined offers for medical treatment twice, court records show. 

Officers advised the woman to call 911 if she needed help in any way in the future. 

Although not indicated in any specific way it appears later on that evening, Reiser and the victim were at the King George Inn having drinks.  Subsequently the victim left without the suspect, returning back to her home. 

Shortly thereafter, Reiser returned home and an argument between the two started about the suspects ex-girlfriend and the bartender at the King George. The argument continued with Resier allegedly punching the victim on the side of the face. The victim asked Reiser to call 911. 

According to the criminal complaint, when Borough police knocked on the door, Reiser told the victim to shut up and don’t say anything. Tell the police, if they ask, that you fell.  Reiser came out of the house, spoke with police and refused to allow police to enter the Swain St home, went back into the dwelling and told the victim to shut her mouth. 

When police left the residence, the probable cause affidavit says, Reiser, restarting the argument with the victim and allegedly:  punched the victim in the face, pursued her while she was crawling on the floor. Lit a cigarette, continued to scream at her, while she crawled on the floor into the living room, and he sat on her legs, took the lit cigarette, burning her on the chest and then continuing to punch her in the face. 

The victims dog, “Leo” was hiding under the coffee table, when she lost consciousness and she doesn’t remember how long she was out, but recalls waking up on the living room couch. She started to look for “Leo” right away because she thought Reiser had let him run-away; she also said he allegedly cut her cat’s face in the past. Since she was in pain, she gave up looking for Leo, going back to sit on the couch for a few hours. Later on, the victim looked in the mirror and noticed her face was swollen and she couldn’t open her jaw, and knew something was wrong. 

A short time later, according to court records, the victim noticed “Leo” was under Reiser’s bed, and noticed blood on him and thought it was from her, when he was trying to protect her, during Reiser’s assault. 

She asked Reiser to take her to the hospital and he refused.  The victim called her girlfriend “K” and asked her for a ride to the hospital. 

The victim while at the hospital was informed by medical personnel, her jaw was broken and needed to be transferred to  Thomas Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia, where she had a her jaw “wired shut” and was also treated for broken tooth having to come back for more medical treatment in subsequent visits with doctors for treatment of the burn on her chest and the multiple bruises on her arms and legs.

Days later, the victim, with her dog, drove to Delaware where she stayed with a  family member. 

On November 30, “Leo” was taken to an Animal Emergency Hospital, in Maryland because he wasn’t eating and was acting strange and was vomiting and had a lump in his neck. X-rays was taken, and a pellet was found lodged in his neck and was crusted over with blood. 

The victim told police back in July, Reiser purchased a black pellet gun from Walmart. The suspect allegedly used a gun in the backyard area of his Swain St. dwelling.

The victim told police Reiser had beaten her in the past, threatening her if she told anyone or reports anything to police. 

Pictures provided to police, indicate Reiser allegedly choked her, due to red marks on her neck and is the reason why she lost consciousness when he  attacked her, November 25.    

Reiser has been  charged with one count of aggravated assault, one count of strangulation, one count of aggravated cruelty to animals, and five other related charges. He is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on May 10. He was released on unsecured bail of $75,000.00 

Resier is represented by Paul Lang, Esq. of Parlow & Lang LLC, according to court records.