Spencer man jailed for attacking woman

A Spencer man is in the Putnam County Jail in lieu of 10 percent of a $15,000 bond after being charged in an attack on a Cloverdale woman.

Charles M. Collins, 41, is charged with strangulation and criminal confinement, both Class D felonies, and battery resulting in bodily injury, a Class A misdemeanor.

The charges stem from a Jan. 17 incident in which he allegedly

According to court documents, Cloverdale Police Department Officer Timothy Walker was dispatched to the Cloverdale Marathon Station on the date of the alleged incident at about 1:45 p.m.

"They advised a male subject had just beat up a female behind the Marathon Station and had fled the scene southbound on U.S. 231," Walker's report said.

When Walker arrived at the gas station, he found the alleged victim in the parking lot where she "was extremely upset, crying and has severe bruising all over her face," court documents said.

The alleged victim then identified Collins as her attacker, and told Walker he had held her hostage and beaten her in her apartment throughout the previous night.

According to court documents, a witness saw Collins and the alleged victim outside the Marathon station just before the police were called. The witness said she saw an altercation between the alleged victim and Collins, and that the alleged victim "was obviously in distress, crying and appeared to have been beaten and was screaming for help and for someone to call the police."

The witness said Collins was grabbing the alleged victim while she struggled and screamed for help.

When Collins realized the witness was calling 911, he got into a vehicle and took off, court records said.

The victim was transported to the Putnam County Hospital for evaluation.

Walker went back to the alleged victim's apartment, where she claimed the attack had taken place. The alleged victim told Walker "there had been a struggle throughout the entire apartment."

"I observed items knocked over and scattered all over the apartment," Walker said in his report. "I observed a hole in living room wall with hair still stuck in the hole, and also a hole in the wall of the bathroom. The blinds in the bedroom were ripped down through the middle of them."

After documenting the crime scene, Walker went back to the hospital to check on the alleged victim. According to Walker's report, her injuries included two black eyes, scratches to her stomach, inner foot, right chest and behind her right ear, bruising to her inner and upper arm and neck and a scapula scrape. She also sustained swelling to her lower lip and bridge of her nose.

A warrant for Collins' arrest was issued on Jan. 27, and he appeared in court for the first time on Feb. 9. He entered not guilty pleas to all charges, and public defender Melinda Jackman-Hanlin was assigned to his case.

Collins' first pretrial conference has been set for March 30. Should he post bond, he has been ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim.

If convicted on all charges, Collins could be sentenced to up to seven years in jail.