Man accused of holding wife captive

A 46-year-old Stateline man with a criminal history involving child cruelty and abuse was jailed Christmas Eve on charges that he held his wife captive.

According to reports, Dennis DiGregorio was jailed on $50,000 bail on charges of attempted sexual assault, resisting or obstructing an officer, kidnap or abduction, and obstructing justice.

DiGregorio was taken into custody at his Stateline apartment after a struggle with two deputies who used a Taser to try to subdue him.

Officers were contacted by the victim's former employer who said the 60-year-old woman alleged she was being held against her will by the suspect.

The woman, who called deputies for a welfare check, said the victim contacted her by telephone.

Deputies knocked at the residence and the victim came outside and began crying.

She reportedly told deputies DiGregorio suffered a head injury a year ago and became more paranoid, possessive and verbally abusive. She said he was an alcoholic and his drinking had accelerated.

The woman said DiGregorio forced her to quit her job, refused to allow her to go to church and hid her car keys. She also said he disconnected her computer and hid a cordless phone so she was unable to contact anyone.

She said her husband told her elaborate plans about moving the couple to Chicago over the holidays where he arranged jobs and housing, but she began to doubt his story.

She said he made her lie next to him when he took naps and allowed her to leave the apartment only when he took her to the store for groceries.

The woman said he gets drunk and forces himself on her. She said on Dec. 23 he was in a "jealous tirade" and tried to become intimate, but she punched him in the eye. She told deputies she was afraid to refuse his advances.

Deputies said the 6-foot-3, 230-pound suspect appeared to be intoxicated and resisted arrest. The Taser was applied six times, but DiGregorio refused to comply, according to reports.

He told deputies the couple was stressed over their move to Chicago or Palm Springs.

South Lake Tahoe police provided assistance and DiGregorio was transported to the Lake jail.

Deputies had to pry his wife's car keys from his hand at the jail, according to reports.

A check of his record allegedly revealed convictions in California for willful child cruelty and immoral acts with a child. Reports indicated he was arrested in 2004 in Douglas County on allegations of domestic battery and assault with a deadly weapon against the same victim, but the charges were dismissed.