Level 3 Sex Offender Allegedly Tried to Strangle Sleeping Woman in Arlington

The Level 3 sex offender and charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault allegedly straddled a woman while she was lying in bed asleep in his Milton Street residence and then tried to strangle her.

Police responded to Michael T. Innis’ Milton Street residence at about 12:19 a.m. Friday, Aug. 24, for a report of a recent domestic assault and battery, according to the police report.

Once there, officers heard from the alleged victim who said that about 5-10 minutes earlier she was “sound asleep in bed” when she felt someone jump on her and begin to choke her, according to the report. She said she then saw that it was Innis. She was unable to breath due to the pressure on her neck, and Innis was on top of her, pinning her down, she said.

She told police that she tried to kick Innis off of her but couldn't. She said she then attempted to free herself and was able to call for help.

A witness then entered the room and told Innis that she was going to call police, according to the report. Innis said, “Ah, don’t do that,” and the altercation ended, the report states.

The alleged victim and witness soon left the residence and called police.

The witness corroborated the alleged victim’s story, according to the report. The alleged victim had some minor cuts and scrapes near her neck and her neck was “reddish,” police said.

Arlington Police conducted an “extensive search” for Innis Friday morning, according to the report. The search included the department’s K-9 team of Officer Michael Hogan and K-9 Dasty.

Innis eventually called police and turned himself in at about 6 a.m. later that morning on Broadway, police said.

Police charged Innis with attempted murder “due to the fact [that he] attempted to commit an unlawful killing with malice aforethought, and an intent to do grievous bodily injury to victim, and there was a plain and strong likelihood of death by attempting to murder victim by strangulation.”

Innis, 44, of 46 Milton St., declined to make a statement after his arrest, police said.

Innis was convicted on two counts of aggravated rape in 1992, according to the state’s sex offender registry. Level 3 offenders have a “high risk to reoffend,” according to the state.

Arlington Police also  and charged him with indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 and failure to provide a change of address for the sex offender registry.