A man from the town of Owasco is facing multiple charges after allegedly attempting to strike a former partner during a custody exchange on March 17 — a violation of an active order of protection.
Mitchell Podolak was arrested after an incident that took place around 3:30 p.m. during a scheduled child drop-off. Auburn Police said Podolak became agitated and, without provocation, attempted to hit the woman in front of the children. The victim, who is protected under a previously issued and served order of protection, feared for her safety during the confrontation.
At the time of the incident, Podolak was already out on release stemming from a separate domestic violence-related case that occurred just one day earlier, on March 16.
In coordination with the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office, Auburn Police located Podolak and took him into custody without incident. He was transported to the Cayuga County Jail, where bail was set at $5,000.
Podolak was charged with first-degree criminal contempt, a class E felony, along with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of second-degree harassment.