A Picayune man has been charged with the assault and kidnapping of his girlfriend.

On Sunday the victim came to the Picayune Police Department to report she was assaulted at the home of her boyfriend, 49-year-old Jeffery Trexler, at 2801 Adcox Rd., after stopping by there to speak with him about repairing her vehicle, said Assistant to the Chief of Police Jeremy Magri.

After he didn’t respond to knocks on the door, the woman was about to leave a note when Trexler came out of the home. The woman asked him about repairing her vehicle, at which time an argument ensued, Magri said.

After some time, Trexler calmed down and convinced her to come into his home. Magri said once she did, Trexler became angry again and refused to let her leave, at one point striking her. The woman told officers that she grabbed a bottle of bleach in an attempt to defend herself, but Trexler grabbed the bleach from her, knocked her to the floor and poured bleach on her face before telling her that she was going to die, Magri said.

Trexler then got on top of the woman, and put a gun in her mouth saying he was going to kill her, shoving the gun far enough in her mouth to cause injuries, Magri said. The woman told officers that after being held at Trexler’s home for three hours, she was able to calm him down by saying she loved him and would stay with him, Magri said. The woman told police she was able to convince Trexler to let her leave by saying she needed to go home to get clothes, at which time she headed to the police department, Magri said.

The officer speaking with the woman observed injuries inside of her mouth consistent with her story and also noticed she smelled of bleach, Magri said. She was taken to Highland Community Hospital for treatment.

Officers went to Trexler’s home and attempted to contact him, but he did not answer either door. Magri said officers then secured a search warrant and made entry to the home. In the search, officers found Trexler laying in his bed and he was taken into custody.

Further search of the home located a bottle of bleach, a gun holster but no gun, and the strong smell of bleach in the kitchen that matched the victim’s story, Magri said.

A second interview with the victim established that she had left the bleach soaked shirt at Trexler’s home, leading investigators to secure a second search warrant and conduct a subsequent search. Magri said in that search the shirt described was located in a trash can outside of the home.

Trexler is charged with aggravated assault and kidnapping, Magri said.