62-year-old Newton man charged in baseball bat assault

A 62-year-old Newton man was charged with two felonies after allegedly using a baseball bat in a fight in front of Newton High School on Wednesday.

Newton resident Eugene Crandall Porter was arrested and charged with willful injury - serious assault and going armed with intent. The Newton Police Department was called to circle drive in front of Newton High School at about 11:25 a.m. regarding a fight between two men, both of whom left the scene in separate vehicles.

Porter had allegedly been assaulting the 46-year-old man with a wooden baseball bat.

The police caught up to Porter and detained him “several blocks away,” according to a news release. They also found the 46-year-old man, who was treated by the Newton Fire Department in the alley behind Hawkeye Car Credit, along First Avenue East between East Third Street and East Fourth Street.

The 46-year-old man was then was questioned by police and taken to Skiff Medical Center with lacerations to the back of his head, but had no apparent life-threatening injuries. His condition was unavailable at press time.

Porter was taken to Jasper County Jail.

Newton Police Lt. Bill Henninger said the two men knew each other, but he didn’t say why the two were at the high school on Wednesday.

“The two males were familiar with each other and they engaged in a verbal argument at the high school, which led up to the assault,” Henninger said.

Henniger said the case remains an active investigation.

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com