POCATELLO — Two Pocatello women are facing felony charges after separate incidents in which they’re accused of choking their partners.

According to police and court records the Idaho State Journal obtained Monday, Leeanne Marie Bloomer, 24, is charged with attempted strangulation and domestic violence battery causing traumatic force in the presence of a child, both felonies, after allegedly choking her boyfriend during an argument over child care.

Court records show Precious Siren Goff, 18, is charged with attempted strangulation after allegedly choking a teenage girl during an argument over a video game.

BloomerThe investigation into Bloomer began Saturday afternoon when officers at the Pocatello police station made contact with a man who was there to report that Bloomer had battered him following an argument at their residence, according to court records.

The police report says the man had a swollen left eye as well as scratches and what appeared to be fingerprint marks on his neck. The man told officers the two began arguing over the care of a child inside the home.

According to court records, the man said Bloomer became physical by pushing him into the kitchen and against the oven, then placed her left hand around his neck, applying pressure he rated as a 7 out of 10 on a scale of how much he feared for his life. He told police Bloomer then struck him in the face with a closed fist multiple times while still gripping his neck and struck him in the chest as well.

Police said the man told them he kept his hands in the air rather than strike back, then broke free and ran out the back door. A child was present in the living room during the incident, according to the police report.

Bloomer told officers she started the physical altercation because the man had been yelling in her face and she was scared of him, admitting to placing her hand around his neck and striking him, according to court records. She denied sustaining any injuries herself, and officers noted no scratch marks on her hands, consistent with the man’s account, court records state.

GoffThe investigation into Goff began Sunday night when Pocatello police responded to a welfare check after the teenage girl’s family contacted police to report that Goff had choked her, according to the police report.

The girl told police she and Goff, who were dating and living together, had gotten into an argument earlier that day after Goff was logged out of an online game, causing her to lose access to the multiplayer server they were using together.

According to court records, the girl said that when she took Goff’s phone to try to log back into the game, Goff “freaked out” and put both hands around her throat, applying pressure for approximately three seconds before letting go.

Police said Goff later confirmed the account to officers, demonstrating how she had placed both hands around the girl’s neck with her fingers extended and the heels of her hands nearly touching.

According to the police report, Goff said the encounter “wasn’t hard or anything,” and was not sexual in nature, and that no one else was present when it occurred.

Bloomer and Goff both appeared before 6th District Magistrate Judge David A. Hooste for separate arraignment hearings via video conference from the Bannock County Jail Monday, where they were each ordered released on their own recognizance.

Bloomer and Goff are both scheduled to appear in court again Aug. 10 for separate preliminary hearings. Prosecutors will attempt to present sufficient evidence to elevate their cases from magistrate to district court for trial.

If convicted of attempted strangulation, Bloomer and Goff each face up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.

Editor’s note: Domestic violence resources are available for anyone affected by abuse. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached 24/7 by calling 800-799-7233 or texting BEGIN to 88788. Locally, Family Services Alliance of Southeast Idaho provides shelter and support services and can be reached at 208-251-4357. Additional resources, including a full community directory of local shelters and victim advocates, are available through the City of Pocatello at pocatello.gov/233/Domestic-Violence-Services-Resources.