Charges: 2 men accused of attack that seriously injured alleged trespasser in Lakewood
Prosecutors have charged two men for an attack that seriously injured a homeless man accused by one of the defendants of trespassing on his property, charging papers allege.
Both defendants were charged with first-degree assault.
A 46-year-old neighbor who allegedly used a baseball bat during the attack pleaded not guilty at arraignment Friday. The 47-year-old who accused the victim of trespassing pleaded not guilty at arraignment last week.
Bail for each was set at $25,000.
Charging papers made these allegations:
Police responded Jan. 26 to a report that a homeless man was being chased and screaming for help while people were beating him with a baseball bat.
The victim had a head injury and was sitting on the ground when officers found him. A witness said the suspects had driven off.
Detectives identified the 47-year-old man after the victim’s sister told police her brother had been having trouble with him because the victim liked to sleep in the man’s yard.
“The victim’s sister also reported that her brother suffered a fractured skull, hemorrhaging in his brain, a broken finger and a significant head laceration as a result of the attack,” the declaration for determination of probable cause said.
The victim identified the defendants from a photo montage Feb. 10 and said the 46-year-old was the one who had the bat.
When a detective spoke with the 47-year-old Feb. 11, he allegedly said: “I caught the dude in my hot tub. He keeps trespassing on my property, and I was protecting my family,” the probable cause statement said. “Yeah, I punched him a few times but never used a weapon.”
He apologized “and agreed that it was a stupid decision and not worth going back to prison for,” the probable cause statement said. He was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in 1991, according to court records.
A bench warrant was issued for the 46-year-old’s arrest, and he was booked into jail Thursday.
