Larry Kline
Havre Daily News
lkline@havredailynews.com
The Hill County Attorney's Office has filed a felony charge of aggravated assault against a Box Elder man in connection the Jan. 21 beating of a local business owner.
The defendant, 29-year-old JoVon Quinn Johnson, is being held in the Hill County Detention Center on $100,000 bail.
Doug Heltne, who owns Heltne's Service Center, told Havre police he awoke between 3 and 4 a.m. to find a man in his home. After a brief conversation, the man began to repeatedly assault him, Heltne told police.
Heltne called 911 at 6:35 a.m. When police arrived, they found Heltne, 62, covered in blood. Officers also found blood on the back door, on the basement stairs, in the basement, in the driveway and on a vehicle parked in the driveway, a court document said.
Heltne told police he was kicked, beaten and knocked down stairs. He was taken to Northern Montana Hospital and was released after a day of treatment.
Johnson was arrested later that morning on a misdemeanor charge of criminal trespass after a nearby resident told police a man was beating on doors in the neighborhood, police said.
The court document refers to medical records that indicate Heltne suffered trauma to his face, head, neck, chest, shoulders and lower extremities. Both of Heltne's shoulders were dislocated and his nose was broken, and he suffered facial lacerations and chipped teeth, the document said.
Heltne later reported memory loss and difficulty speaking, the document said.
Johnson's criminal record includes convictions for assault, partner/family member assault, driving under the influence of an intoxicant, criminal possession of drug paraphernalia, and disorderly conduct, the document said.
