John Brandon Taylor, 45, faces a third-degree felony charge of injury to an elderly individual after an altercation at Matt’s El Rancho, according to the Austin American-Statesman, citing an arrest affidavit. The alleged victim is 65.
What the charge means
Under Texas Penal Code Section 22.04, intentionally or knowingly causing bodily injury to someone 65 or older is generally a third-degree felony; reckless conduct causing bodily injury is a state jail felony. A third-degree felony conviction carries a prison term of two to 10 years and a fine of up to $10,000, under Section 12.34. The charge is an allegation, not a finding of guilt.
Account of the altercation
The Statesman reported that police were called to the restaurant around 6 p.m. Saturday. In the affidavit as described by the newspaper, the victim said the dispute started when Taylor tried to pass his table and would not go around it. The men pushed each other before Taylor allegedly hit the victim in the face with a drinking glass. The victim fell backward into people seated with him, and Taylor pushed him again as he tried to rise.
The victim suffered a cut to his left cheek that hospital staff said would need stitches, the Statesman reported. Police found Taylor leaving the patio with an injured right palm; the affidavit attributed the cut to the glass breaking during the incident. Taylor acknowledged to an officer that he had struck the victim, according to the newspaper’s account.
Witnesses supported the victim’s account, but investigators could not determine who initiated the physical confrontation, the Statesman reported. Taylor was arrested, and a Travis County magistrate found probable cause on October 18, according to the newspaper’s account of court records.
