A Marietta man is facing a felony charge after what started as an argument at a Delk Road hotel allegedly ended with a cement brick flying toward a 74-year-old and the older man collapsing to the ground.
Local court records identify the suspect as Deallen James. Witnesses told officers James ran from the scene before police caught up with him. The confrontation, which unfolded at the Parc Hotel on Delk Road, was captured on a bystander's video, according to the records.
According to WSB-TV, court records state James was trespassing at the Parc Hotel when an argument with the 74-year-old escalated. The arrest affidavit and witness statements say a bystander's video appears to show James chucking a cement brick at the man's head. The brick missed the victim's skull but hit his hip instead, knocking him to the ground.
WSB-TV reports that James was charged with aggravated assault with a weapon, a felony, and was taken into custody in Marietta after fleeing the hotel.
The arrest affidavit says officers used the video, along with witness accounts, to identify and track down James. It lists a single felony aggravated assault charge and notes that the defendant ran from the scene before being apprehended. Records do not publicly list the injured man's name or describe his medical condition.
Video Shows The Attack
A bystander's clip, cited in the affidavit, appears to show the suspect hurling a block of cement toward the older man's head and then walking away. As detailed by WSB-TV, the brick instead struck the victim's hip and sent him crashing to the pavement.
Investigators leaned on that footage, along with witness statements, to support the aggravated assault charge, the court document shows.
Recent Violence Near Delk Road
This latest case lands in the middle of a rough stretch for the busy Delk Road corridor, which has seen several recent violent incidents. One of the most serious was a fatal shooting at the Stratford Ridge Apartments on July 2.
CBS Atlanta reported that detectives with the Cobb County Police Department's Major Crimes Unit are investigating that July 2 shooting. Multiple ongoing investigations in the area have put local police activity under added scrutiny.
What The Charge Means
Under Georgia law, aggravated assault involving a weapon is a felony generally punishable by one to 20 years in prison, with tougher minimum sentences in some weapon cases. Aggravated assault statutes can also bring stiffer penalties when the victim is an older adult or when a firearm is involved, according to state law. See Georgia Code § 16-5-21 for the exact statutory language and penalties.
Prosecutors with the Cobb County district attorney's office will review the arrest affidavit as the case moves forward. Court dockets are expected to show the timing of arraignment, as well as any bond decisions or additional filings, in the coming days.
