Dexter man allegedly assaults man to talk to man’s wife

0
3363
Johnny Estle Gardner, 37, of Dexter was arrested Sunday on charges of assault with intent to inflict serious injury, burglary and criminal mischief.

A Dexter man allegedly strangled a fellow Dexter resident late Saturday night in order to talk to the resident’s wife.

Johnny Estle Gardner II, 37, of 34942 Del Rio Road, Dexter, was charged with assault with intent to inflict serious injury, first-degree burglary and fifth-degree criminal mischief.

The incident began shortly after midnight July 4 in the 300 block of Barton Street in Dexter, where a Dallas County Deputy Sheriff responded to a report of an assault.

The deputy made contact with the victim and the victim’s wife, who told the deputy they were woken to the sound of someone “banging on their front door,” and they identified the person as Gardner, according to court records.

The victim told the officer that “he walked out to open his door that leads into his garage,” and allegedly “he found Gardner already inside his garage,” according to court records.

The victim told the deputy that “Gardner was in a fighting stance,” and he allegedly “began to throw punches” at the victim and “then shoved him through his screen door,” where the victim “fell down on the ground onto his sidewalk, knocking over a pot,” according to court records.

The victim told the deputy that Gardner allegedly “beat him in the head multiple times” and “then put his arm around his neck and began to strangulate him, and he nearly passed out,” according to court records.

The victim’s wife said the victim “turned blue in the face when Gardner was strangling” him.

The deputy observed on the victim “a large bump on the left upper side of” his head and “swelling and bruising underneath his right eye,” and his “lip was cut open, causing it to bleed from being hit in the face by Gardner during the incident,” according to court records.

The victim told the deputy that “Gardner eventually let go and fled the scene.”

The deputy located Gardner at his residence. Gardner told the deputy that the victim “tried to attack him,” and he “was only defending himself,” according to court records.

Gardner told the deputy that “he only wanted to talk to” the victim’s wife and that he “never entered the garage or attempted to strangle” the victim, according to court records.

The deputy observed “scrapes” on Gardner’s “right upper bicep that appeared to be fresh.” Gardner told the deputy that “the scrapes on his right upper arm were from an unrelated
incident,” according to court records.

Gardner was held in the Dallas County Jail prior to posting a $25,000 cash or surety bond. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing July 14 in Dallas County District Court.

*A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.