Bail is set at $20,000 for a man accused of hitting another man repeatedly with a baseball bat at a shelter in Centralia on Sunday.
Tommy Dee Evans, 65, of Bucoda, was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail at 7:10 a.m. on June 9 after officers with the Centralia Police Department responded to a report of an assault at a men’s shelter in the 700 block of North Tower Avenue at about 1:20 a.m. that morning.
When questioned early Sunday morning, Evans reported that he had an ongoing dispute with his roommate at the shelter for a couple weeks and had gotten into a physical dispute earlier that night over when the lights needed to be turned off, according to court documents.
Evans reported that his roommate punched him in the face during the fight.
Responding officers “noted that Evans smelled of alcohol and was clearly intoxicated,” and noted Evans’ injury “appeared even more recent than what he was reporting,” according to court documents.
Officers contacted the victim and a third roommate at the shelter who witnessed the incident. When questioned, both subjects reportedly said Evans came into the room with a baseball bat, told the third roommate to “look away” and started hitting the victim while he was sleeping, according to court documents.
Both subjects said that while Evans was hitting the victim, he “was hit with a bottle that caused him to fall to the ground and hit his head on the lockers in the room — which is what caused the observed injury,” according to court documents.
The victim reportedly admitted to arguing with Evans earlier in the evening “but said it was only verbal.”
When questioned again, Evans allegedly “admitted to hitting (the victim) with a bat, but again referenced the argument with (the victim) several hours earlier,” according to court documents. He allegedly “said he was going to go to the hospital to have his injuries looked at, but his car would not start, so he grabbed a bat and went to confront (the victim).” He allegedly added that the victim started to get up from the bed while Evans was confronting him,” so he hit him with the bat in self defense,” according to court documents. He reportedly “did not know how many times he hit (the victim) with the bat.”
Responding officers noted that the victim had injuries to his shins and forearms that the officers reported “as consistent with being hit with a baseball bat,” according to court documents.
Evans was charged in Lewis County Superior Court on Monday, June 10 with one count of second-degree assault, domestic violence.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, June 13.
A no-contact order preventing Evans from going within 1,000 feet of the victim until the case is resolved is in case.
