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Grand jury to hear sex assault, strangulation case

MORGANTOWN — A grand jury will hear the case of a man accused of physically and sexually assaulting a woman at an apartment in Morgantown.

Kyle B. Rocha, 27, is charged with two counts of first-degree sexual assault, malicious wounding and strangulation.

Before Magistrate Jim Nabors ruled there was enough probable cause for the case to be presented to a grand jury, he heard testimony from Officer A. Arthurs of the Morgantown Police Department, who was the first officer to respond to the call.

Arthurs testified she was called to Forest Avenue on Feb. 18 for a reported sexual assault. When she made contact with the victim, the first thing she noticed was a large wound on the victim’s left cheek, near her eye.

The woman, who was wrapped in a blanket and in distress, told Arthurs she was physically and sexually assaulted by Rocha, Arthurs testified. The victim was able to give Arthurs Rocha’s name and a description of him.

EMS transported the woman to the hospital, where she was examined by a sexual assault nurse examiner, Arthurs said.

Arthurs detectives also interviewed two witnesses who had contact with the victim before police arrived and two witnesses from the same building where the assault happened.

The next Monongalia County grand jury will be convened in May.

Rocha is being held in North Central Regional Jail in lieu of $200,000 bond.

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