A University student was arrested and charged with felony aggravated assault early Saturday, after he choked and bit a female friend, according to an Athens-Clarke County police report.

Benjamin George Eglinger, 23, assaulted Desiree Michael, 21, at his residence at North Avenue Apartments, according to a police report.

According to the report:

Michael and Eglinger were on their way home with a friend, Joshua Fitch, from downtown when an argument began.

Michael told police that Eglinger kept getting close, so she pushed him back.

She asked to use the witness’s cell phone to call another friend. Eglinger grabbed it out of her hand and threw it, hitting her in the face.

Michael said Eglinger kept yelling and she asked him to back up. Then, Eglinger grabbed her neck and pushed her face into the ground. The group continued walking to Eligner’s residence at The Lodge.

Michael told police Eglinger taunted her to slap him. She did, and then Eglinger grabbed her two fingers and bit them.

Once they arrived home, the victim told Eglinger she would not call the police if he would go in his room and let her sleep on the couch. Eglinger then grabbed her by the neck and held her until she passed out, the victim said.

Michael woke up and begged him to stop, but he did it again and she passed out a second time.

After she regained consciousness, Michael ran into Eglinger’s bedroom to get her belongings. Eglinger locked the door with his key and then kicked the door down. He told the victim he could do whatever he wanted to her because she was trespassing. He then put his foot on her neck and choked her, the victim said.

“After he had strangled me,” Michael said in an phone interview with The Red & Black Sunday, “I tried to give him a chance to just let me leave, just to let me get my stuff, but he wouldn’t.” Michael said Fitch witnessed the argument on the way home but remained outside of the apartment during the incident. Fitch told police he wanted to stay out of it for his own safety.

Eglinger told police a different account of events.

He said when they arrived home, he went to his bedroom and locked the door. Then, Michael kicked the door in, so he choked her.

There were “a lot of marks” on Michael’s neck that looked to corroborate her story of Eglinger choking her, according to a police report. When the victim got up, she walked upstairs and called 911 on someone’s phone.

Eglinger and the victim have lived together in the past and “have been together” for almost three years, according the report.

Eglinger and Fitch declined to comment when reached by The Red & Black on Sunday.

Eglinger was taken into custody and later booked at the Clarke County Jail.