Two men are facing assault allegations after Vancouver police say one brought the other to his former wife’s house and strangled her while the friend severely beat her boyfriend.
Nathan M. Bowers, 38, of Vancouver appeared Tuesday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of first-degree assault, first-degree domestic violence burglary, second-degree domestic violence assault and interfering with reporting domestic violence. Clinton A. Callaway, 38, of St. Helens, Ore., appeared on suspicion of first-degree assault and first-degree burglary.
A judge set Bowers’ bail at $800,000 and Callaway’s bail at $750,000. They’re scheduled to be arraigned April 24, court records show.
Police responded at about 9:30 p.m. Monday to a house in the 200 block of West 39th Street for reports of a burglary. Someone reported hearing screaming and banging coming from the house, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Investigators say they learned a woman and her boyfriend, identified as James Fairbrother, were at her house when Bowers and Callaway arrived without notice. She said Bowers, whom she identified as her former husband, did not live at the house with her, but he still kept tabs on her. She said she thought Bowers was jealous of her boyfriend, according to the affidavit.
Bowers and Callaway began banging on doors and windows, and Callaway tried to break down the front door, she said. She tried to keep the door shut, but Callaway managed to break in. Both men forced their way inside, court records state.
The woman said Bowers pushed her against a wall, grabbed her by the neck and squeezed until she couldn’t breathe. Officers observed red marks on her neck, the affidavit states.
Fairbrother had run downstairs to the basement, she said, and Callaway pursued him. Eventually, Bowers let her go and went to the basement, where Callaway was beating Fairbrother, according to the affidavit.
The woman said she followed Bowers to try to stop the attack. When she tried to call 911, she said Bowers took her phone from her, court records state.
Arriving officers arrested Bowers and Callaway. Police found Fairbrother lying in the basement with what appeared to be blunt force injuries to his head. Medical personnel took him to an area hospital, according to the affidavit.
Hospital staff later told investigators Fairbrother was admitted to the intensive care unit and placed on a ventilator A surgeon told officers the man likely would’ve died if medical personnel hadn’t arrived as quickly as they did, court records state.
