Thomas Favazza, 47, of Eureka is facing charges for reportedly strangling his wife, taking her vehicle and driving it while intoxicated. The alleged assault and DWI occurred after the woman picked him up from a Wildwood bar because he was too drunk to drive, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office reported.
Favazza was charged with second-degree domestic assault, a class D felony punishable by up to seven years in prison; DWI, a class B misdemeanor that carries a penalty of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000; and driving with a revoked license, a class D misdemeanor that is punishable by a fine of up to $500, court records show.
Favazza has been released from St. Louis County Jail on a $50,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 17, court documents said.
Favazza’s estranged wife drove to the Wildwood Pub and Grill on July 1 to pick him up because he had been drinking. The two got into an argument, and Favazza allegedly grabbed the woman by the throat while she was driving, according to a Eureka Police report.
The woman pulled over and got out of the vehicle. Favazza drove away, and she called 911, the report said.
Eureka Police pulled over Favazza, and officers said he appeared intoxicated. In addition, Favazza allegedly was driving with a revoked license, according to the report.
“Strangling someone, let alone your partner who is driving you home because you’re too drunk to drive, is absolutely unacceptable on so many levels,” St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell said in a July 3 written statement.