Arrest Made After Alleged Bedroom Attack

An Amagansett man was arrested after allegedly attacking his ex-girlfriend in her bedroom on Tuesday night.

Michael D. Marran, 48, was charged with misdemeanor assault, criminal obstruction of breathing, and criminal mischief, as well as with a class B violent felony count for unlawfully entering the house with intent to commit a crime.

He was arraigned on Wednesday afternoon in East Hampton Town Justice Court and pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charges through his attorney, Rudolph J. Fusco Jr. of Tarbet and Lester, and entered a denial on the felony charge.

Susan Swanson, his alleged victim, was in court on Wednesday morning. Visibly bruised, she gave a statement to detectives there that matched what she had told police the night before when she was being treated in the emergency room in Southampton Hospital for her injuries.

She told police that she had been in a relationship with Mr. Marran for about four years, including working for him on his company's website for about eight months, but that the relationship had ended some months ago. Mr. Marran is the owner of East Hampton Fence and Gate.

According to Ms. Swanson's statement, she was at home in East Hampton when she started receiving text messages from Mr. Marran a little before 8 p.m. on Tuesday. A little before 9, he called, telling her to "read the email." Five minutes later, he called again "and started to scream." She hung up the phone, she told police, and ignored two more calls from Mr. Marran.

At about 9:30 she was in her bedroom, when she "heard the front door open, and the alarm ding go off," she said. She picked up her cellphone when Mr. Marran allegedly entered the room. He "immediately jumped on top of me, pinning my arms and hands under his legs. He ripped the cell phone from my hand, and threw it across the room," she told police.

"I began to scream, and he began to punch the top of my head with his closed fists, repeatedly calling me a traitor and saying he was going to kill me," she said. "I said, 'Oh God, please help me.' While choking me, he said, 'No one can hear you, and God can't help you.' "

It was at that moment that police arrived at the house, and the alleged attack ended.

Ms. Swanson told police she was not sure how Mr. Marran had gotten through the locked door, saying he may have kept a spare key without her permission.

While Ms. Swanson was being rushed to the hospital, Mr. Marran was being questioned by police. He was quoted as describing what had happened in the bedroom, "Yeah, there was pushing. It wasn't physical on the bed." After being asked another question, he allegedly answered, "Yeah, I was on top of her and I was holding her hands down. I don't know. It wasn't physical."

During Mr. Marran's arraignment in front of Justice Steven Tekulsky, Adriana Mora, an assistant district attorney, asked bail to be set at $10,000. Mr. Fusco, citing Mr. Marran's lifetime spent mostly in the town of East Hampton, asked if Mr. Marran could be released without bail.

Pointing out the seriousness of the charges, Justice Tekulsky responded, "I am going to set some bail," making it $2,500. He also issued a stay-away order of protection for Ms. Swanson, which prohibits Mr. Marran from making contact of any kind with her.

Outside the courthouse as he was being led away, Mr. Marran was asked if the charges were true. "No," he said. "She's been my girlfriend for a very long time. Just silliness." He was placed in a patrol car and taken back to police headquarters, where bail was posted shortly thereafter.

He is to return to East Hampton Town Justice Court on March 5.