Boca Raton Police Arrest Joseph Lauria. Remains Held On $40,000 Bond.
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A Delray Beach man is facing felony charges after Boca Raton police say he showed up uninvited at a woman’s apartment, demanded she get in the shower to have sex with him, threw her to the ground, and choked her until she lost consciousness. Joseph Salvatore Lauria, 25, was arrested in the early morning hours of April 22, 2026, and faces charges of domestic battery by strangulation and false imprisonment.
According to a Boca Raton Police Department probable cause affidavit obtained by BocaNewsNow.com, Lauria arrived at the victim’s apartment at 2800 N. Ocean Blvd. around 8 p.m. on April 21. When the woman questioned why he was there, Lauria told her to be quiet and demanded she get in the shower. When she refused, police say he threw her to the ground and placed one hand over her mouth and the other around her neck. The victim told investigators she lost consciousness because she could not breathe.
When she regained consciousness, the woman told police Lauria was still on top of her. She scratched him on both wrists and kicked and pushed him to get free. When she attempted to leave the apartment to get help, Lauria moved in front of the door to block her only exit. She was eventually able to move past him and get out. The responding officer observed redness on the victim’s lower neck and a minor cut on the inside of her lip. Scratches were also observed on Lauria’s arms, and a red mark was visible on his stomach.
Lauria was interviewed and told police he had gone to the woman’s apartment and that the two had argued before things turned physical. He acknowledged he did not move out of the way when she tried to leave. Lauria was arrested at 11:32 p.m. and booked into the Palm Beach County Jail. He remains held on $40,000 bond.
