Defendant bound over for trial in assault of woman in Aurora
May 17—MOUNT VERNON, Mo. — A 41-year-old man from Purdy waived a preliminary hearing last week on a charge that he assaulted a female acquaintance.
Stephen W. Crider waived the hearing Thursday in Lawrence County Circuit Court on a charge of first-degree assault and was ordered to stand trial. Judge Matthew Kasper set the date for his initial appearance in a trial division of the court for June 14.
Crider is accused of assaulting Brenda Shelton on April 21 at her residence in Aurora.
A probable-cause affidavit states that Shelton had let Crider stay overnight at her residence April 19 due to inclement weather. She did not see him again until April 21 when he showed up at her door, and Shelton's care provider let him in.
Crider purportedly walked to the back of the couch on which Shelton was sitting and grabbed her around her neck and face and began twisting her head about while demanding that she give him his money, according to the affidavit. He pulled a rag out of his pocket and placed it over her mouth and nose, causing her to become dizzy, the affidavit states.
The female caretaker grabbed a television remote at that point and started hitting Crider with it to get him to stop assaulting Shelton. He finally let go of Shelton and ran out of the residence, according to the affidavit.
