A former Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper has been charged with felony strangulation after his girlfriend told Tiffin police he grabbed her by the neck and jaw during an argument at the home they shared, according to court records.
Nathaniel H. Cain, 23, faces a single count of strangulation, a third-degree felony, in Seneca County Common Pleas Court. The Ohio State Highway Patrol confirmed that Cain was employed as a trooper at the time of the alleged offense.
“The Patrol took immediate action upon learning of the allegations,” the agency told TiffinOhio.net. “The employee has since been terminated. The conduct alleged does not reflect the values of this agency.”
Cain was assigned to the Patrol’s Norwalk post.
The charge stems from an incident on Tuesday, May 19, at the couple’s Tiffin home. According to a sworn complaint, Cain’s girlfriend reported that the two had a verbal argument during which Cain grabbed her jaw and squeezed, breaking one of her lower teeth.
When she tried to lie down, the complaint states, he grabbed her neck and squeezed for about seven seconds. The officer who took the report wrote that he saw redness on the front of her neck and injuries to her lower lip and tooth. The woman, whom TiffinOhio.net is not naming, reported that she had lived with Cain since October 2025 and that the two were in a romantic relationship.
The complaint was sworn by Tiffin Police Sgt. Joseph P. Feld.
Strangulation became a stand-alone felony in Ohio in April 2023 under Senate Bill 288; before the change, such cases were typically charged as misdemeanor assault or domestic violence.
The woman reported the incident in person at the Tiffin Police Department.
The sergeant assigned to the case took her report at the station, so no body-worn or cruiser-camera video of the report exists, Tiffin Police Lt. Jason Windsor told TiffinOhio.net in response to a public records request.
Windsor said the Highway Patrol took Cain into custody when he arrived at his post for duty and may have recorded his arrest and transport. TiffinOhio.net has a pending records request with OSHP for additional information.
Cain was charged on Wednesday, May 20, and his bond was set at $75,000 with conditions. The case is before Common Pleas Judge Damon D. Alt, and Seneca County Prosecutor Derek W. DeVine’s office is prosecuting.
Cain was initially assigned appointed counsel; attorney Dean Henry later entered an appearance and asked the court to lower the bond, but that request was denied. Cain waived a preliminary hearing on Thursday, May 28, and posted bond the same day through a bail bonding company. The case remains pending.
A criminal charge is an allegation. Cain is presumed innocent unless and until he is convicted in court.
Editor’s Note: Cain was previously placed on unpaid administrative leave, according to an OSHP statement Wednesday. On Thursday, OSHP told TiffinOhio.net Cain’s employment had been terminated.
