Tyler man found guilty of domestic violence

TYLER – A Tyler man was found guilty this week of domestic violence by choking by a Smith County jury. Our news partners at KETK report that Thomas Owens Jr., 39 of Tyler, was arrested in September 2022 after officials said he became angry at his girlfriend over a fan. The verbal argument then became physical. A report from the Smith County District Attorney’s Office says Owens pushed her causing her to hit a sink. Officials said he then “got on top of her and placed his hands around her neck, cutting off her airway” before she was able to get away and call authorities. Owen’s trial began Monday and in the victim’s testimony to the jury, she described it as the scariest day of her life. His punishment will be decided by Judge Reeve Jackson, and sentencing has been set for Nov. 27. He faces up to 20 years in prison due to a prior conviction for assault family violence in Cherokee County.