An Adel man was arrested early Thursday after allegedly striking his neighbor with a baseball bat.
Thomas Jay Lilley, 48, of 905 Bryan St., Adel, was charged with willful injury causing bodily injury.
According to court records, an officer of the Adel Police Department responded to the 900 block of Bryan Street about 12:30 a.m. on a report of a man “struck by a baseball bat out in his driveway.”
The officer made contact with the victim, who said “he was going to bed and heard noise outside like someone banging on a garbage can,” so “he went outside to see what was making the noise” and found Lilley, who was “telling him to come out front.”
The victim said “Lilley approached him with a baseball bat” and “swung the bat at him and struck him in the ribs on the left side.” He said “Lilley then dropped the bat and ran
back towards his house.”
According to court records, the responding officer observed “red marks and a welt” on the victim’s “left ribs.”
A witness reported seeing Lilley “running to his back door” at the time of the alleged assault and hearing Lilley earlier in the night saying “that he was going outside with a baseball bat because someone was apparently throwing rocks at his house.”
Lilley is held in the Dallas County Jail in advance of an initial appearance in Dallas County District Court.
Lilley was convicted of assault in 2005 in Dallas County District Court.
*A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
