Geneseo PD

Student assaulted in off-campus apartment

Geneseo Police Chief Eric Osganian and Officer Jeffrey Szczesniak arrived at a Court Street apartment Thursday morning, Feb. 23, to find a young SUNY Geneseo student bleeding and screaming uncontrollably.

According to Osganian, she had just been allegedly attacked by Kevin Asti of Leicester — a 19-year-old campus dining hall employee she’d been dating for about two months.

The victim’s finger was cut, she was bruised on her side, and had marks on her neck consistent with strangulation. A Geneseo Ambulance took her to Highland Hospital to treat her injuries.

Osganian says the apartment was “trashed,” and estimates that Asti allegedly caused $700 in damage, including a smashed television.

Asti was initially charged with Assault in the Third Degree, as well as Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree.

During the arraignment, Geneseo Village Justice Tom Bushnell issued Asti an order of protection strictly warning him not to have further contact with the victim.

“The judge was clear,” explained Osganian. “If the two of them were still in high school and he passed her a note through a couple of friends, the judge said it would be considered a violation.”

The arraignment ended at 11:08 a.m. Asti sent the victim a text message at 11:11 a.m. asking her to help him meet the $15,000 cash bail.

Police secured evidence of this text message after a search warrent allowed officers to view the phone’s call log. Asti was subsequently charged with Criminal Contempt in the Second Degree.

Since the day of the attack, police also discovered that the victim’s car had been scratch from front to back with an ignition key, causing an estimated $1,800 damage — resulting in a charge of Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree.

Police have also since learned that Asti allegedly held a BB gun to the victim’s head and threatened to shoot her — which resulted in a menacing charge.

The District Attorney’s Office had planned to bring the additional charges following a grand jury indictment hearing. On Tuesday, however, Asti was released on bail.

“For the safety of the victim, we arrested him again on the new charges. There was some concern that he might try to make contact with her again,” said Osganian. “There needs to be a time out.”

The victim was a student at SUNY Geneseo. Asti works at the new Fusion Dining Hall, but does not attend classes. Two neighbors told police the couple has been fighting for the last couple of months.

Asti is in jail again on $15,000 cash, $30,000 bond for new charges. A felony hearing is set March 2 at 2:30 p.m. in village court.