SENECA, Pa. (EYT) — A 28-year-old man accused of entering a Seneca woman’s home and holding a knife to her throat while she slept waived his preliminary hearing this morning.

Matthew Rumzie, 28, of Seneca, waived the following charges during a preliminary hearing on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m.:

Burglary — Overnight Accommodations; Person Present, Bodily Injury Crime, Felony
• Strangulation — Applying Pressure to Throat or Neck, Felony 2
• Aggravated Assault, Felony 2
• Terroristic Threats W/ Int To Terrorize Another, Felony 3
• Unlawful Restraint/ Serious Bodily Injury, Misdemeanor 1
• Simple Assault, Misdemeanor 2 (two counts)
• Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Misdemeanor 2
• Harassment — Follow In Public Place, Summary
• Criminal Mischief — Damage Property, Summary (two counts)
• Criminal Mischief — Damage Property, Summary

According to a criminal complaint filed by Franklin-based State Police Tpr. Cirell, the incident occurred Saturday around 6:00 a.m. when Matthew Rumzie allegedly entered a 25-year-old Seneca woman’s Meadow Road home through its back door wielding a knife.

The victim told Tpr. Cirell that she woke up and Rumzie was on top of her with a knife to her neck.

Rumzie then allegedly took the victim to the living room and sat her down on a chair with the knife still to her neck.

Police said Rumzie then demanded to look through the victim’s cell phone and said he would not leave the residence until she complied.

The victim eventually cooperated, and a physical altercation ensued.

At one point, Rumzie realized that his knife was dull and began grabbing knives from the victim’s kitchen, according to the criminal complaint.

During the altercation, Rumzie allegedly strangled the victim, struck her with his fist, and told her multiple times that he would kill her and then himself.

The victim said Rumzie choked her to the point where she “almost passed out,” according to the criminal complaint.

When the victim left the residence to go to the hospital for treatment of her injuries, Rumzie allegedly followed her. While the victim’s car was stopped at a stop sign, Rumzie allegedly exited his vehicle with a hammer in his hand and “postured himself as though he was going to strike the victim’s vehicle.”

The victim was able to get away from Rumzie by maneuvering her vehicle around a truck stopped in front of her. She then proceeded to the hospital.

Tpr. Cirell spoke to the victim at the hospital and observed a large bruise on the left side of her face, a red mark around the front of her neck, a scratch on the left side of her neck, a puncture wound and a scratch on her right hand, and bruising and scratching on her left arm as well as both of her knees.

The victim complained of having pain in her head and said it was difficult to remember everything.

Rumzie was taken into custody on Saturday around 5:00 p.m. and placed in the Venango County Jail. Bail was denied due to the defendant being “a threat to victim and himself.”

The case has been transferred to the Venango County Court of Common Pleas.