On the lookout in assault case

By Barry Porterfield
Pauls Valley Daily Democrat

September 23, 2008 02:30 pm

— Authorities are on the lookout for a Maysville man now facing multiple criminal charges after he allegedly assaulted a small group of people that included his girlfriend.
Maysville Police officials said Monday they are still looking for Neal Earnest Stephen, who just before his 38th birthday this past weekend was formally charged with assaulting three individuals and attempting to kill one of them during an incident last week.
An additional charge, making it five in all against Stephen, also accuses him of injuring a cat by kicking it before he left the scene of the incident drawing the allegations.
“I haven’t located him yet so we’re still looking for him,” Maysville officer Robert Peterson said referring to Stephen.
Stephen faces two felony assault and battery charges — one accusing him of using force likely to produce death and another with the intent to kill.
One of those criminal counts accuse Stephen of using his hands to grab and snap his girlfriend’s neck during an altercation one week ago resulting in a pop as the woman passed out at a Maysville residence in the 700 block of 8th.
The suspect is also alleged to have used a heavy, medium-sized cast iron skillet to strike the woman in the face causing an “orbital blowout” bone fracture, according to an affidavit filed in Garvin County District Court.
The original call the night of Sept. 16 warned Maysville officers a man with a knife and skillet was at that moment trying to kill a woman.
Reports show other law enforcement agencies were immediately contacted for their help because the man was reported to have a “violent history” that included being a Golden Glove boxer and the winner of a “tough man” contest.
When he arrived Peterson reported seeing the woman, who appeared to have severe trauma to the right side of her face and head.
The woman’s mother also claimed to see Stephen hold a knife to her daughter’s throat as he allegedly threatened to kill them both if police were contacted.
Two felony counts of assault were also filed against Stephen on the accusation he intended to kill the unnamed mother and another individual at the residence by holding two skillets on each side of their heads while making deadly threats.
The filed affidavit indicates Stephen’s left the scene at the urging of his own mother. The two are alleged to have left in a mini-van at a high rate of speed.
The fifth charge against Stephen is cruelty to animals, which specifically is an allegation he kicked a neighbor’s gray-striped tabby kitten with such force it caused one of the animal’s bones to fracture in three places.
Stephen was not found by officers at an undisclosed number of places where he was known to “hang out.”