A man accused of hitting another man in the head with a metal bar claims he thought he was being kidnapped.
Lucas Chidester, 22, of Green River, appeared in the Third District Court of Judge Nena James at an arraignment to two felony counts of aggravated assault and battery. A jury trial has been scheduled to take place Aug. 7 at 9 a.m.
If Chidester is found guilty of both felonies, he could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $20,000.
According to court documents, on Feb. 4, 2017, around 9 p.m. a Green River Police officer responded to Iowa Street for a disturbance report. The person placing the call said he heard someone yelling that his brother had been kidnapped.
Upon arrival, the officer spoke to James Mahana, Timothy Williams and Chidester. Mahana was in the front of the passenger seat of a vehicle and was covered in blood. The officer observed a laceration to the right side of his head.
Another officer spoke to Chidester, who appeared extremely intoxicated. The officer administered a preliminary breath test and Chidester showed a blood concentration level of .202.
The officer also noticed Chidester’s hands were covered in blood and Chidester allegedly admitted to punching Mahana in the face and to allegedly kicking Mahana with his steel-toed boots in the face, hands and throat while Mahana was on the ground because he was “trying to do some damage.”
He told the officer he thought Mahana was trying to kidnap him and his brother, Williams.
Mahana was transported to the Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County where he was interviewed by a GRPD officer.
Mahana said he was allegedly punched in the side of the face by Chidester and he believed that while he was on the ground Chidester allegedly stabbed him on the head with what he thought was a knife Chidester had taken out of his pocket. Mahana said he couldn’t remember anything else until he was being treated by EMT’s.
The officer then spoke with an emergency room physician who said the injuries Mahana sustained to the forehead, behind his ear and on the back of his head were stab wounds. The wounds had penetrated the skin, but not the skull. The wounds were 1-inch in length and consistent with knife cuts.
Officers then went back to the scene and found a white, metal hexagon bar in the driveway. It had what appeared to be blood and blonde hair on it, which was the same color hair as Mahana. The officer called back the physician and asked if this type of weapon could have caused the damage to Mahana’s head. The physician said that could have caused the injuries and had only referred to them as stab wounds because that’s what Mahana thought they were.
On Feb. 5, 2017, an officer officially interviewed Mahana who said Williams and Chidester were neighbors of a friend he helped move into a new place. After he was done helping his friend move, he gave Williams and Chidester a ride to Smith’s so they could purchase a bottle of Whiskey. He then drove to 10-Mile road.
During the drive, Williams was sitting in the passenger seat and Chidester was in the back. While driving, Mahana, said he had an unloaded Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol, between him and the center console. Mahana said it was digging into his hip while he drove, which was uncomfortable so he removed the magazine and placed the pistol on top of the center console. Williams picked up the gun and looked at it.
When he was turning onto Iowa Avenue, he noticed his gun wasn’t on the console and asked Williams where it was at. Williams said he didn’t know. Mahana said the conversation was civil and not heated.
Mahana then got hit in the back of the head really hard with something and he couldn’t remember anything after that until the EMTs were looking at him.
Mahana said he never pointed the gun at or threatened anyone. He said he was simply taking them home. He had no intentions of kidnapping them.
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