Suspect allegedly assaulted woman with steel pipe, told police he was trying to kill her

 

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind.—A suspect has been arrested after he allegedly assaulted a woman at a gas station using a "rusty steel pipe," according to the probable cause affidavit.

On March 19, officers were sent to a gas station at 110 S. Dixie Way for reports of a man assaulting a woman.

A Roseland Police officer arrived to find a man in the front of the store screaming and yelling and another man behind the counter, attacking a woman with an object in his hand, reports said.

The officer told the man attacking the woman to stop and to get on his stomach but the suspect refused, court documents said.

According to the probable cause affidavit, the officer deployed his taser and struck the suspect, causing the suspect to stop.

The suspect went on to tell the officer that he was there to “kill her” and stood up, at which point the officer again deployed his taser but it did not have any effect on the suspect, court documents said.

Reports said the suspect then went back to the woman and struck her again.

The officer ran behind the counter, tackled the suspect, and one of the other men in the store assisted the officer, reports said.

An officer with the St. Joseph County Police Department arrived to assist and the man helping the officers was able to pull a metal pipe out of the suspect’s hands, reports said.

The officers were then able to handcuff the suspect, identified as Kevin McKenzie, 44.

According to the probable cause affidavit, the victim reported that McKenzie came in, bought cigarettes, left the store, returned three or four more times, and then began to assault her.

The victim had blood running down her forehead and a large laceration to her forearm.

Police recovered a "rusty steel pipe" at the scene, reports said.

A witness told police he heard a woman calling for help and found her laying on the ground bleeding from the head.

The witness went to get another person from outside and called 911.

McKenzie came back into the gas station, began striking the victim with a pipe and repeated over and over again “I am trying to kill her,” the witness reported to police.

The witness also told police that McKenzie kept repeating “I was just trying to kill her,” court documents said.

According to the probable cause affidavit, McKenzie has a prior conviction for attempted robbery and battery resulting in bodily injury in two separate cases.

McKenzie was arrested on March 19 and is being held at the St. Joseph County Jail without bail on suspicion of battery by means of a deadly weapon and resisting law enforcement. He is due in court on March 20.