Aug 6, 2018 3 min read

A North Franklin Township man who spent time in a state prison for his role in the death of a 9-week-old girl almost 10 years ago was arraigned Monday on charges after he allegedly assaulted a Claysville woman and held her against her will a week after allegedly assaulting his own children.

North Franklin police were notified over the weekend by state police that Harry L. Bowman, 50, of 724 1/2 McElree Road, was in custody, after an incident in Washington early Sunday. Among the charges filed against him by state police were flight to avoid apprehension, fleeing or eluding police and driving under the influence of alcohol.

Bowman is charged by North Franklin police with unlawful restraint, kidnapping, reckless endangerment, strangulation, simple assault, aggravated assault, harassment and terroristic threats for allegedly assaulting the 23-year-old woman and not allowing her to leave his home July 25 and 26. He is charged with reckless endangerment, simple assault and harassment for allegedly assaulting his 16-year-old daughter and 18-year-old son during a July 19 incident at their home.

Township police were called July 26 by the Claysville woman’s mother, who had gotten a text from her daughter asking for help. The woman also reportedly called her mother and told her she was being held against her will.

When police arrived at Bowman’s home, they found the woman asleep in a bed. She told police Bowman had just left. The 23-year-old told police she was so exhausted from her ordeal that she fell asleep.

She detailed how Bowman became angry after she tried to get a friend to pick her up the previous day. Bowman reportedly threatened her with a knife, blocked her from leaving and choked her. Police said she had bruises on her face.

Bowman is accused of assaulting his children after an argument over a lawn tractor, police said. Bowman is accused of slamming his son’s face off the tractor. He reportedly assaulted his daughter, kicking her in the stomach and pushing her to the ground after she allegedly tried to intervene. Bowman left before police arrived.

In March 2011, Bowman was sentenced to 2 1/2 to 5 years in state prison after pleading guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of children in the March 5, 2009, death of Kloe Saffel. The girl’s mother, Heather Saffel, was sentenced to 3 1/2 to 7 years in a state prison. The girl had been found unresponsive in a camper where the three had been staying. She died of brain hemorrhage and swelling.

Bowman was arraigned late Monday afternoon before District Judge Robert Redlinger on the charges filed by North Franklin and state police. He is in Washington County jail on $20,000 bond. He is scheduled for an Aug. 20 hearing on all of the charges before Redlinger.