LORAIN, OH — A 24-year-old man was arrested Saturday evening following a domestic incident that allegedly involved a physical altercation and a bite wound.
According to a report from the Elyria Police Department, officers responded to a residence on West River Road North on May 31, 2025, after a woman reported that her partner, Elijah Herda, had forcibly taken her phone and restrained her arm. The woman stated that the incident began earlier in the day with verbal arguments and escalated when Herda attempted to take her phone by force. She told officers she bit him in self-defense.
While police were on scene, Herda reportedly drove past the residence but did not stop. An officer pursued and conducted a traffic stop in the parking lot of the Marathon gas station at 503 Huron Street. Herda was detained and questioned at the scene.
Herda told officers he had returned home briefly and took the phone after receiving messages he described as aggressive. He acknowledged the bite mark on his arm and said he may have scratched the woman while retrieving the phone. Officers documented visible injuries on both parties.
Despite Herda’s statement and injury, he was arrested and charged with one count of domestic violence and one count of assault, both first-degree misdemeanors. He was booked into the Lorain County Jail at 6:58 p.m. and held without bond pending a court appearance.
Herda appeared in court on June 2, where he was granted a court-ordered release. His arrest was classified as a new arrest with no bail or bond amount listed. The charges stemmed from the May 31 incident and were filed through Elyria Municipal Court.
No further details on the ongoing status of the case were available as of Monday afternoon.