Jan 13, 2015 4 min read

A Monongahela woman spent hours Tuesday testifying before a Washington County jury about how she was allegedly choked, hog-tied and raped by her ex-boyfriend after she attempted to retrieve their son from the apartment they sometimes shared.

The trial for John D. Yocolano II, 33, of Monongahela, started Monday before Washington County Common Pleas Judge John F. DiSalle for charges of rape, sexual assault, kidnapping and host of others.

The woman, now 23, spent Monday testifying about their relationship leading up to the assault. She said the couple were briefly engaged and filed for a marriage license before ending their relationship in summer 2011.

They were involved in a custody dispute and the woman had filed for a protection-from-abuse order prior to the Dec. 6, 2012, incident. She said they were “working” on their relationship prior to that day.

On Tuesday, testimony began with photographs of text messages the pair exchanged hours before the incident occurred.

The woman said Yocolano requested their son spend the night with him, to which she agreed. Shortly after 2 p.m. Dec. 6, the woman testified she began to receive text messages, including one that said, “Thanks for giving up (the baby) to me,” court records said.

The woman said that as the day went on, she became fearful that Yocolano would do something to the child.

“I was terrified that (Yocolano) was going to hurt him or run away with him,” the woman said.

She testified she decided to pick up the baby, but wanted someone to go with her. After contacting several friends who couldn’t go along, she went alone.

She arrived at the apartment around 5:30 p.m. and said Yocolano would not bring the baby to her car, stating he needed her help. Yocolano met the woman at her vehicle and followed her into the apartment.

The woman said she went to tend to the baby when she heard the door lock. She turned to question Yocolano when she said he rushed at her and punched her in her left cheek.

She said Yocolano then climbed on top of her while she was on the floor and began to choke her with one hand while restraining her with the other. Yocolano then carried her to the bedroom, where he tied her hands and feet and made her perform sex acts, the woman said.

The woman said she begged Yocolano, who is considerably larger than her, to let her go, but didn’t scream for help.

“He kept telling me that this was my fault,” she said. “That I made him act this way … I thought I was going to die. He said he was debating what to do with me. He was debating putting me in the bathtub so that the mess was easier to clean up.”

The prosecution showed the jury photos of the bruises on the woman’s neck, arms and legs.

The woman testified that Yocolano kept tied up for roughly three hours. She said Yocolano took her phone and became angry when it rang. The woman testified that he carried her to the bathroom and stayed while she cleaned herself. While she was in the shower, the woman said someone knocked on the door. Yocolano left to answer it and came back to inform her that a friend of hers was at the door. She said he permitted her to get dressed and go out on the porch to address her friend.

“I whispered to her to help me,” she said.

Seconds later, the woman testified that Yocolano joined them on the porch. Greetings were exchanged and the woman’s friend left. When Yocolano turned to enter the apartment, the woman said she ran and got into her’s friend’s vehicle, leaving her son and her personal items behind. The women drove to the Monongahela Police Department, where she was transported by ambulance to Monongahela Valley Hospital.

Yocolano’s attorney, Neil Marcus, attempted to show during cross-examination that the sexual contact was consensual and the woman leveled the accusations against Yocolano “to get the upper hand in a custody dispute.”

Marcus said Yocolano will take the stand in his own defense. The trial is expected to last the remainder of the week. Yocolano has been free on bond since shortly after charges were filed.