Preliminary hearing set in Cape Girardeau assault case

A preliminary hearing was set Thursday before Associate Circuit Judge Gary A. Kamp for a Cape Girardeau man charged with first-degree assault for causing serious injury to a 43-year-old man.

Benjamin Savage, 44, allegedly entered an apartment at 316 S. Lorimier St. on Jan. 31 and beat the male victim in the face with a tire-iron-like object.

Savage is expected to appear in court Feb. 25.

Upon arriving at the scene, CJ Dunavan, a Cape Girardeau Police Department patrolman, saw blood covering the victim's face. The victim told Dunavan that Savage entered his residence, pulled out a knife and said he was going to cut him, according to a probable-cause affidavit. Savage put the knife away, the victim added, and started hitting him in the face.

Dunavan said the victim had a large "knot" on his forehead above his right eye and additional injuries to his mouth, nose, forehead and both cheeks.

Once officers located Savage and he was taken to the station, Dunavan saw that Savage had bloodstains on his hands, both cuffs of his sleeves and on the front of his shirt.

Savage also had a knife in his pocket, according to Dunavan's affidavit. No tire-iron-like object was found on Savage or at the scene.

Dunavan also said in the affidavit that when another officer was explaining to Savage the charges against him, he uttered "I only hit him once, maybe twice, maybe three times, but I didn't have a weapon."

Savage has three prior convictions in Cape Girardeau County since 2007, including violation of a protection order, third-degree assault in 2008 and a misdemeanor theft charge in 2009.

ehevern@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent address:

316 S. Lorimier St., Cape Girardeau, MO

551 S. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, MO