ROCKLAND, Maine — Lower bail was denied Wednesday for a 21-year-old Cushing man accused of beating his 60-year-old stepfather to the point that police had to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation to revive him.
Justice William Stokes denied the request made in Knox County Superior Court on behalf of Dalton Cross, who is charged with domestic violence assault and criminal mischief.
Cross has been held at the Knox County Jail since Nov. 8, unable to raise the $5,000 cash bail set at the time of his arrest.
Assistant District Attorney Christopher Fernald said Cross and his girlfriend had been living with Cross’ mother and stepfather in Warren. There had been a dispute the day before the alleged assault when the stepfather warned Cross not to hunt on some private property, according to an affidavit filed by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.
The prosecutor said that on the day of the incident, Cross had been ordered to move out of the house and he had called police to help him retrieve his belongings. Cross did not wait for police, however, and he went over and began damaging a vehicle, Fernald said.
The police affidavit said the stepfather came out of the house with a baseball bat and struck Cross on the side. Cross and his girlfriend then allegedly got into a physical fight with the older man and had him on the ground where he was kicked repeatedly in the head.
Responding Deputy John Hansen had to perform CPR on the man who was later taken to Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport. The man was later released from the hospital.
Fernald said the victim has since told investigators he believed the two were trying to kill him.
Defense attorney Jonathan Handelman argued that bail should be lowered. He said his client is mildly mentally disabled and acted in self defense.
Cross has two juvenile convictions for assault and had a domestic violence assault charge dismissed in 2013 in a deferred disposition agreement.
“He has a record full of violence,” Fernald said.