A Washougal man suspected of beating a man in the head with a makeshift tool made a first appearance in Clark County Superior Court on Monday.
Schuyler R. Hughes, 40, appeared on suspicion of second-degree assault in connection with the Friday night incident.
Officers from the Camas and Washougal police departments responded at about 9 p.m. to a physical disturbance at the Rama Inn at 544 Sixth St. in Washougal. Upon arrival, police found Michael Ehresman covered in blood. He reportedly had several large lacerations on the back of his head. Ehresman said he was dizzy and in a lot of pain. However, he refused to tell police what had happened and said he is not “a rat or a cop caller.” He then said he fell and hit his head, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Superior Court.
A witness, Dineen Ford, said that her husband, identified as Hughes, had struck Ehresman with a “monkey wrench.” She said Ehresman had been lying on the floor of her hotel room because he was having problems with a hernia. She said Hughes then walked in, grabbed the tool and started beating Ehresman in the back of the head, court records said.
Police said they found what appeared to be a piece of wood and a metal rod duct-taped together, the affidavit says.
Two other witnesses gave similar accounts of the alleged assault.
In an interview with police, Hughes said that he thought Ehresman was trying to sleep with his wife, court records said. He said he grabbed the weapon, which he described as a “sprinkler guard for a bicycle,” and held it up as if he was going to hit Ehresman, court records said. He said Ehresman was scared and fell backward, hitting his head on a night stand, according to court documents. The night stand was covered in blood, as was the floor, blankets and a pillow.
Ford told police that Hughes had attacked Ehresman while he was on the ground near the door to the hotel room. She said Ehresman retreated to where the night stand was and did fall on it, the affidavit says.
Paramedics bandaged Ehresman’s wounds, but he refused to be transported to a hospital. He then left the scene on foot, court records said.
During Hughes’ hearing on Monday, Judge Gregory Gonzales appointed Susan Stauffer to represent him.
His bail was set at $20,000. He is scheduled to be arraigned July 27.
