SOUTH FALLSBURG, NY — On June 17,  Fallsburg Police responded to a location on state route 42 in South Fallsburg for a report of a domestic dispute. Upon arrival, police made contact with a female victim who reported that she was involved in a dispute with her ex-boyfriend, identified as James Pugliese, and that the matter became physical.

It's alleged that  Pugliese had pushed the female and then grabbed her around the neck with both hands during the dispute. Pugliese, who had left the scene on foot before police arrival, was located shortly after by the New York State Police and was transported to the Fallsburg Police Department, where he was taken into custody and charged with Criminal Obstruction of Breathing or Blood Circulation, a misdemeanor. Pugliese was then arraigned in the Town of Fallsburg Justice Court by the Honorable Judge Kaminski, where an order of protection was issued. Pugliese is due back in the Town of Fallsburg Justice Court at a later date. 

Criminal charges are merely allegations that a defendant has committed violations of the criminal law, and as such they are not evidence of guilt. All defendants have a presumption of innocence and are entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the burden of the State of New York to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.