Clark County deputies say an 18-year-old Hazel Dell man has been arrested on suspicion of assault after his alleged victim was found lying unconscious in the road.
Gage Allen Kiser appeared in Clark County Superior Court on Thursday morning. Judge John Fairgrieve appointed a defense attorney to represent Kiser after hearing about his finances.
A 50-year-old resident of the 8600 block of Old Orchard Drive in Hazel Dell was found lying in the road Monday around 11:40 a.m., according to a Clark County Sheriff’s Office press release.
A probable cause affidavit said he was taken to a hospital and admitted into an intensive care unit with potentially life-threatening injuries, including several skull fractures. He was comatose for two days.
The injuries were initially believed to be the result of a hit-and-run collision, but traffic investigators determined there was no vehicle involved.
Major Crimes Unit detectives looked into what happened, and on Wednesday, they arrested Kiser.
Surveillance video from a neighbor’s house captured a man, later identified as Kiser, approach the older man, who was doing yard work. The two men spoke with each other twice before Kiser punched him, and the older man fell backward onto the paved road, the affidavit says.
The punch and fall appeared to have caused the victim to lose consciousness, Clark County Sheriff’s Office Detective Adam Beck wrote in the affidavit. Kiser “then crouches over (him) punching him again in the head two more times before running away,” the affidavit says.
Two days after the assault, Beck spotted Kiser in the neighborhood. Kiser allegedly told investigators he was angry with the victim because he had approached his girlfriend asking for sex.
Deputy Prosecutor Katie Sinclair requested the judge set bail at $30,000. Sinclair said Kiser has no prior criminal convictions but noted the state’s concern for community safety due to the seriousness of the allegations.
Fairgrieve set bail at $20,000 and an arraignment date of June 21.
