Jhasua Pena, age 22, of 56 Tyler St., Nashua

NASHUA – A physical altercation that police say stemmed from a verbal argument – apparently at least in part regarding a PlayStation video game controller – resulted in the arrest of a 22-year-old Nashua man on assault charges.

Jhasua Pena, of 56 Tyler St., Apt. 402, faces one Class B felony count of second-degree assault – domestic violence, along with three counts of simple assault – domestic violence, Class A misdemeanors, accusing him of assaulting the alleged victim, described as a woman known to Pena, “several times, including being strangled,” police said.

Pena, represented by attorney Ryan Guptill, entered not guilty pleas to the charges and waived formal arraignment Monday in Hillsborough County Superior Court-South.

During a subsequent bail hearing, Assistant County Attorney Brett Harpster recommended Pena be housed on preventive detention, noting Pena’s arrests in 2015 and 2016 on domestic assault-related offenses.

Harpster told the court he would agree to converting bail to personal recognizance, if Pena submits to a mental health evaluation and follows any treatment recommendations that stem from the evaluation.

“I think it’s in everybody’s best interest to find out what the trigger is for this,” Harpster said, referring to the assault allegations.

Guptill, Pena’s attorney, asked for personal recognizance bail with pretty much the same conditions. He said the information the alleged victim provided to police at the scene and her statements included in police affidavits indicate “more of a mutual combat” scenario took place.

Judge Charles Temple adopted Harpster’s recommendation of preventive detention, citing “the facts and circumstances” of the allegations and Pena’s previous conviction.

Temple did grant Pena the opportunity to have his bail converted to personal recognizance, conditioned on the mental health assessment that Harpster and Guptill had recommended.

Police said officers went to 56 Tyler St. Saturday for a report of a woman yelling and crying in a hallway of the multi-unit apartment building.

They located the alleged victim, who told police the two were arguing, and when she left Pena’s apartment, he allegedly pushed her into a wall, took a bag she was carrying and allegedly dumped out the contents onto the floor, the reports state.

He allegedly grabbed a PlayStation controller and went back to his apartment with the woman following, according to police. He allegedly pulled her into the apartment, but when the two fell to the floor, he allegedly wrapped his legs around the woman’s neck and put his hand over her mouth, which caused her to experience impeded breathing, police said.

In a post-arrest interview, police said Pena told them that the two had argued, but he “made no admissions to physical assaults.” They said he then asked for his lawyer, and police ended the interview.

Pena is next due in court on March 4 for a dispositional hearing.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256, or at dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.

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