BUCKHANNON – A Buckhannon man is being held in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $50,000 cash-only bond after allegedly breaking another man’s nose by repeatedly punching him in the face.
Steven Dewayne Arbogast, 38, was arrested for malicious or unlawful assault, a felony, Tuesday.
According to the criminal complaint in the Upshur County Magistrate Clerk’s Office, investigating officer Cpl. Joshua Wilson with the Buckhannon Police Department received a call on Tuesday, April 2, about a fight at 127 E. Main Street.
When Wilson arrived on scene, Delbert Boyles was outside the residence and said help was needed because people were “inside killing each other,” according to the file.
Upon making entry into the residence, Wilson noticed a puddle of blood on the floor in the hallway.
Wilson reportedly found Arbogast lying on the dining room floor in a “confused state with bloody hands and socks,” the report states.
Wilson found Harold Murphy in the kitchen with his face completely covered in blood, according to the file.
Wilson had the E911 Upshur County Communication Center send EMS. The file says that when Wilson was attempting to talk to Arbogast, Arbogast tried to get up, at which point Wilson said no and put his hand on his shoulder.
Arbogast then reportedly swung at Wilson, which led to Wilson taking him to the ground with Cpl. Marshall O’Connor’s assistance, the file says. Arbogast allegedly refused to comply with both officers’ orders to stop resisting and appeared to be “very angry and combative,” Wilson wrote in the report.
Arbogast was arrested and put into the police cruiser.
Wilson spoke with the witness, Delbert Boyles, who reportedly told the officer that Arbogast and Murphy had arrived about 15 minutes prior with a “15-pack of beer.” Boyles said he went to the bathroom and when he came back, Arbogast was allegedly on top of Murphy on the couch “punching him in the face over and over.”
The report says Boyles told Arbogast to stop or he was going to call the police, but Arbogast did not stop, so Boyles called the police. Murphy suffered a broken nose, black eye, deep cut to the forehead and several large knots around the face area, according to the file.
Murphy was transported to WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital by Upshur EMS and then transported to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown.
Arbogast also had visible marks.
Magistrate Kay Hurst set bail at $50,000 cash only.
If convicted, Arbogast faces confinement in a state correctional facility for not less than two nor more than 10 years.
