Two Carter County men found themselves facing charges following a disturbance at a Watauga home.
Officers of the Carter County Sheriff’s Office arrested Ronald Vanhoy, 42, of 407 E. 4th Ave., Watauga, and charged him with vandalism over $500. Officers also arrested Clint Maxwell, 20, 233 Smalling Road, Elizabethton, and charged him with assault.
According to police reports, officers responded to a home on East Riverview Avenue in Watauga on a report of a hit and run accident.
When Deputy Joshua Hopkins arrived on scene he spoke with Vanhoy, who told the officer Maxwell came to his house earlier in the day and tried to start a fight with him and his neighbor, Michael Johnson.
“Mr. Johnson stated that Mr. Maxwell had struck him in the leg with his vehicle and it knocked him across the yard,” Hopkins said. “There were clear signs of tire tracks spinning up the gravel and swerving in Mr. Johnson’s yard. Mr. Vanhoy also had a fence that had been knocked over from the vehicle as well.”
“Mr. Vanhoy stated he then took a shovel and beat out the back window of the Pontiac Grand Am that Mr. Maxwell was driving,” Hopkins added.
Earlier in the day, before responding to the call of the hit and run accident, Hopkins said he had responded to a call on Smalling Road where the damaged vehicle was located.
“The entire back glass of the car was beat out,” Hopkins said. “There was damage to both sides of the car where it appeared it had been struck with a shovel. The paint was missing and there was dents in the door and back area around the glass.”
Hopkins arrested Vanhoy at the scene of the second call and charged him with vandalism over $500, which is a class E felony under state law.
Following Vanhoy’s arrest, Hopkins and another officer then returned to Maxwell’s home on Smalling Road in an attempt to locate Maxwell but they were unable to do so. Hopkins then obtained a warrant for Maxwell’s arrest charging him with assault in connection with the incident where he allegedly struck Johnson with his vehicle.
Later in the evening, officers returned to Maxwell’s home on Smalling Road and were able to place him under arrest.
Both men were released from the Carter County Detention Center after posting bond.