Eagan Father Charged After Allegedly Strangling, Punching Daughter

Upset because he thought his daughter was lying, a 53-year-old Eagan man allegedly held her to the floor, choked her and punched her repeatedly in the face while she struggled to call 911.

Peter Orbidan, 53, faces one felony count of domestic assault by strangulation, one gross misdemeanor count of interference with an emergency call and one misdemeanor count of domestic assault for his role in the alleged assault, which left the young woman bleeding and gasping for air. If convicted on the felony domestic assault charge, Orbidan could face as many as three years in prison and $5,000 in fines.

Eagan police were dispatched just after 8 p.m. on March 3 to a restaurant on Thomas Lake Road, where they found the female victim crying with marks around her neck and a bruise on her face.

The young woman told police that she worked at a nearby pizzeria and had been called in by her manager to work that night. Orbidan insisted that the victim clean her room and thought she was lying about having to work, police said. After a short argument, the victim attempted to leave the room, at which point Orbidan pushed her to the floor, put his knee into her back and wrapped his forearm around her neck, according to a criminal complaint released by the Dakota County Attorney's office. The victim told police that Orbidan cut off her air for approximately one minute, during which time he allegedy used his free hand to punch her in the face and eyes.

The victim momentarily blacked out during the assault. When she tried to call 911 using her cell phone, Orbidan allegedly took the phone from her, according to a criminal complaint.

After the assault, Orbidan allegedly told his daughter to clean the blood off the carpet in her bedroom and kept her in her room for approximately 30 minutes. When the father left the room to check on people arriving at the house, the victim allegedly fled out the back door to the pizzeria.

Police took photos of the victim's injuries, and interviewed several young men who arrived at Orbidan's residence around the time of the incident. All three said they heard arguing coming from the home.

The victim told police her father had been very abusive toward her and another member of her family while growing up, according to the complaint.

Orbidan's next court date is scheduled for April 2.

Be sure to follow Eagan Patch on Twitter, "Like" us on Facebook, and sign up for our newsletters, which send you updates about stories, breaking news, announcements, events and blogs on our site.