Altoona man arrested in connection with Hartselle-area assault; victim's condition critical
An Altoona man faces second-degree assault charges in connection with an incident Oct. 9 near Hartselle that left a man in critical condition, according to the Morgan County Sheriff's Office.
Austin David Ray Wiley, 27, is jailed on $75,000 bond.
Deputies responded to a disturbance call in the 50 block of Terry Road in unincorporated Hartselle, where they found a man bleeding from the head, conscious but unable to respond.
Deputies learned the victim was mowing a yard when another person arrived and they argued, then the argument turned physical.
According to information posted on the sheriff's office Facebook page, the suspect was said to have stomped on the victim's head several times.
The victim was taken to Huntsville Hospital, where he was in critical condition and in a coma, being treated for multiple skull fractures with possible brain damage, a broken jaw and a partially torn-off ear.
Deputies were able to identify the suspect as Wiley and issued a BOLO for him and his vehicle. However, he returned to the scene and was arrested there.
Contact Gadsden Times reporter Donna Thornton at 256-393-3284 or donna.thornton@gadsdentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Altoona man charged in Morgan County assault; victim critical
