A 43-year-old Portland man is behind bars, accused of straddling, strangling, and threatening to kill a woman for not kissing him on Saturday.
Jason Kascius was booked on a strangulation charge and pleaded not guilty at his arraignment this afternoon. Court records indicate he was living with the woman he's accused of attacking and he's known her for five months.
The woman reported to the police that the two "had gotten into an argument over her not kissing Kascius," a probable cause affidavit says. "She stated he 'went bizarre' and threw her on the ground. Told me she got up & Kascius threw her down, then straddled (her) & and used 2 hands to grab (her) by neck... Kascius strangled her & threatened to kill her." Cops noted her neck was red and swollen.
According to court records, Kascius has lived in Portland for six years, is a software designer, and has previous convictions for felony grand theft, petty theft, and drunk driving. He previously lived in Southern California. His LinkedIn profile indicates he's the "founder" and "creative director" of a company called Skyygroup, which is described as a marketing company. It also says he works for California-based marketing agency Yurz.