A man with a long criminal record in Montana and Colorado recently was arrested after he allegedly choked his girlfriend.

Desmond Albert Plantenga, 32, is facing a felony charge of strangulation of a partner or family member after a June 5 incident.

Plantenga was booked into the Flathead County Detention Center on June 6 and released on his own recognizance June 9. He is scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

According to the charging document, a woman who said she was in a romantic relationship with Plantenga reported they argued while they drove around and he allegedly grabbed her by the throat and put her in a “choke hold.” She said she felt pain, her vision became blurry and she thought she was going to die before he let her go.

The victim said she got out of his vehicle, regained her breath and a friend picked her up and took her to the Kalispell Police Department.

Court records indicate Plantenga faced drug charges in the Flathead more than a decade ago. In 2006, when he was 17 years old, authorities alleged he possessed oxycontin. The case was transferred to youth court.

In 2007, Plantenga was accused of trying to sell marijuana. He received a three-year deferred sentence, but it was revoked after he continued to use marijuana and not pay his fines. He got a five-year deferred term and then attended the Montana Chemical Dependency Center in 2008.

But in 2009, Plantenga allegedly admitted to using marijuana and drinking alcohol, according to court documents. He also pleaded guilty to careless driving, driving without insurance and failing to notify officials of his involvement in a traffic accident.

Those offenses sent Plantenga to the Treasure State Boot Camp and included a five-year suspended sentence if he completed the camp, which he did in December 2009.

But in 2011, he admitted to his probation officer he drank heavily, which violated his probation terms. He also allegedly admitted to using marijuana and other traffic offenses.

It resulted in a sentence of 50 months to a Department of Corrections facility in 2011. He was released in 2015.

Online jail records from Mesa County, Colorado, indicated Plantenga was booked and released on a drug possession charge in April 2019. An item in the Grand Junction Sentinel newspaper reported he was cited on suspicion of shoplifting in April 2019.

Plantenga faces a five-year term in the Montana State Prison on the current charge.

Scott Shindledecker may be reached at 758-4441 or shindledecker@dailyinterlake.com.