Attempted murder charges have been filed against a man accused of using a lead pipe to severely beat a man with whom he shared a residence on Colton Avenue.
Kelly Hines, 55, of Bellefontaine, was arrested Saturday, Feb. 8, by officers of the Bellefontaine Police Department and charged with attempted murder, a first-degree felony; felonious assault, a second-degree felony; and first-degree misdemeanor domestic violence, following a report of an assault that occurred shortly after 8 a.m.
Officers were dispatched to a residence in the 400 block of Colton Avenue and spoke with a witness, who reported that his uncle, Hines, had attacked the victim.
Officers entered the residence and found the victim sitting in a recliner with visible blood on his face. A lead pipe was found nearby, and was identified as the assault weapon.
The victim, who relies on an oxygen tank, suffered a large laceration across the bridge of his nose and additional injuries to his wrists, head, and eye. The victim identified Hines to officers as his attacker.
The witness reported that he heard the victim yell and came into the room to find the suspect hitting the victim with the pipe. He intervened by taking the pipe from Hines and striking him with it to stop the assault.
Officers were told that Hines had been living at the residence for five to six years but had left days earlier following an argument over smoking inside the home. The suspect reportedly returned the previous night without speaking to anyone before the morning attack.
Medics transported the victim to Mary Rutan Hospital, where he was diagnosed with multiple skull fractures and a severe brain injury. The victim had to be transferred to another hospital for advanced treatment of his skull fractures.
While at the hospital, Hines reportedly told a doctor that he had been trying to kill the victim.
The suspect was taken to Mary Rutan Hospital for treatment of injuries he sustained in the altercation, and was later transported to the Logan County Jail. The lead pipe used in the attack was collected as evidence.