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By James O’Malley
WILKES-BARRE — A Swoyersville man will spend up to two decades behind bars for intentionally crashing a car containing his girlfriend and her two children and for beating the woman on a separate occasion.
Kabril I. Williams-Keyes, 22, was sentenced Wednesday in Luzerne County Court to 10 to 20 years in state prison followed by one year probation on four aggravated assault charges, according to court papers.
Judge Tina Polachek Gartley credited the man for 185 days served, court papers say, and he is to attend anger management classes and batterers intervention.
Williams-Keyes pleaded guilty on May 19 to the charges, avoiding as a result several counts of kidnapping, simple assault, reckless endangerment and other charges, court documents say.
According to a criminal complaint, Williams-Keyes on Jan. 1, angered over text messages, punched, scratched, bit and threw a knife at Ernestine Pearson before corralling her and her two children, ages 1 and 4, into her car from her Edwardsville apartment.
The man also attempted to get his mother Barbara Keyes in the car, but she managed to flee and call police, the complaint says.
In an interview with a police officer, Keyes said her son “snapped” and was going to kill his girlfriend and her children.
Pearson told police Keyes first drove to Interstate 81 but returned to Edwardsville to retrieve his mother.
Noticing police vehicles near Pearson’s apartment, Williams-Keyes drove away initiating a pursuit on the North Cross Valley Expressway, state Route 115 and the turnpike, the complaint says.
While on the turnpike, Pearson said Williams- Keyes told her, “I told you not to lie to me. Look what you made my mom do. I’m not going to jail. You better kiss your kids goodbye. You don’t love me. Look what you made me do. Say goodbye,” the complaint says.
Pearson told state police Williams-Keyes then kissed his hand and touched the forehead of the 1-year-old child before intentionally crashing the vehicle into a guide rail.
According to another criminal complaint, Williams-Keyes in August 2014 beat Pearson and attempted to light her on fire. The woman was hospitalized for treatment of multiple injuries sustained in the attack.
Pearson told police Williams-Keyes punched her in the face multiple times, kicked her in her back and body and threw grease on her, the complaint says. The woman said she lost consciousness during the attack and awoke to her boyfriend continuing to kick her.
The woman said Williams-Keyes at one point doused her in alcohol and attempted to light her on fire, threatening her with an aerosol can and a lighter he used as a blowtorch.
At one point during the altercation, Pearson said she managed to get away from Williams-Keyes, only to be dragged back by her hair, police say.
Reach James O’Malley at 570-991-6390 or on Twitter @TL_omalley.