Plaza Tower owner arrested after incident in which woman was seriously injured

The owner of Plaza Towers faces three counts of domestic violence and kidnapping following his arrest on Sunday.

Marco Denis is the registered agent in the U.S. Department of State’s corporate database for Springfield Property LLC, a company that offers retail and commercial space for lease throughout Springfield, including the Plaza Towers at the corner of East Sunshine Street and Glenstone Avenue.

According to court documents, Denis is charged with four felony counts of strangling, beating, kidnapping and hair-pulling a victim with whom Denis was in a relationship. The probable cause statement states that two witnesses were at the intersection of Battlefield Road and Lone Pine Avenue when they saw the passenger door of a car stopped at a stoplight open and the victim’s legs kicking frantically out the door. Denis allegedly tried to pull the woman back into the car by pulling her hair, and a witness also reported seeing him choking the victim.

The victim was able to free herself from Denis and the two witnesses drove her to Springfield Police Headquarters. Police said the victim was taken to Mercy Hospital with serious injuries. The officer who responded to the attack found the victim in extreme pain, had multiple injuries, including scratches and bruises, to her arms, head, face, neck and legs, a black left eye, internal bleeding on the brain and a ruptured left eardrum, according to court documents.

According to police, the victim believed Denis was stalking her because he was randomly appearing throughout the city. As documented in the probable cause statement, the victim reported that Denis drove her to Kimberling City where his boat was docked, took her to a secluded cove, and repeatedly assaulted her, throwing her into the water. According to the probable cause statement, she lost consciousness three times due to blows from Denis.

When she returned to the dock, the victim said Denis called his lawyer and told him that the boat had turned too quickly and both Denis and the victim had fallen and been injured. She believed this served as her alibi.

More: One man dead, injured suspect arrested after shooting in Springfield

On Wednesday morning, Denis pleaded not guilty to all four counts of domestic violence in the first degree (Class B), one count of domestic violence in the third degree (Class E), and kidnapping in the first degree (Class B).

Denis is currently being held without bail in the Greene County Jail. A bail hearing is scheduled for Thursday morning.

Marta Mieze covers local politics for the News-Leader. Do you have feedback, tips or story ideas? Contact her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared in the Springfield News-Leader: Marco Denis, owner of Plaza Towers in Springfield, charged with four felonies