A Vancouver man is accused of beating another man with a cinder block so badly he was in the ICU for several days and needed a metal plate inserted in his skull.
Charles A. Malvo, 32, appeared in Clark County Superior Court Thursday on suspicion of first-degree assault. Court records indicate he also had an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in a prior case. His bail in the new case was set at $500,000, and he is scheduled to be arraigned Feb. 9.
Vancouver police responded Nov. 23 to West 11th and King streets for reports that a man had assaulted another man.
When officers arrived, they didn’t find anyone nearby, but they saw blood near a tent and photographed it, according to a probable cause affidavit. The witness who called 911 did not know the people who were involved.
On Jan. 13, officers were investigating a possible DUI near Mill Plain Boulevard and contacted Tony Hayes and Alexandria Klingler. While officers were speaking with Hayes, he told them about an incident in which he was assaulted by a man, which required him to be in the ICU for several days and have a metal plate put in his skull. He said he had not reported the incident but that it happened around Thanksgiving near the Share House in Vancouver, court records state.
Police said Hayes told them he and Klingler were sleeping in a tent when Malvo, who is Klingler’s former boyfriend and shares children with Klingler, approached their tent and began coming inside, the affidavit states.
Hayes said there was a brief fight between him and Malvo, during which he punched Malvo twice, court records state. He said Malvo was angry with him because he blames Hayes for a fire that damaged Klingler’s apartment.
Klingler tried to break up the fight between the men and brought Malvo outside the tent. Malvo then picked up a cinder block and threw it at Hayes, who was still inside the tent, striking Hayes in the head, the affidavit states.
Malvo then picked up the cinder block again and struck Hayes in the head with it two more times, according to court records.
Hayes was bleeding heavily from the head, and Klingler drove Hayes to a hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery, the affidavit states. Hayes told police he continues to have problems with his hearing because of the injury.
Court records indicate Malvo was arrested on Wednesday afternoon in the Vancouver Heights neighborhood.
