ATHENS TOWNSHIP, MI (WNWN/WTVB) – A 22-year-old man from Battle Creek was taken into custody on Tuesday after he broke into an Athens Township residence and assaulted two occupants during a home invasion.
The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched at about 7:30 a.m. to Mulberry Avenue near Q Drive South on a report of a man with a gun. The Sheriff’s Department reports a man broke into a home and assaulted individuals before he fired one shot from a firearm in the house, and then fled in a vehicle.
The 911 caller also indicated they had been struck in the head by the butt of the firearm. A Calhoun County Sheriff’s deputy saw a vehicle matching the description provided by the victim on northbound M-66 near B Drive South.
The driver was detained during a traffic stop and positively identified as the offender. A black BB pistol was found during a search.
Detectives think the suspect entered through an unlocked door and assaulted the occupants. A female occupant was shot several times at close range with the BB pistol. Deputies say the individuals were acquaintances, and this was not a random act.
The two victims at the residence were treated by LifeCare Ambulance paramedics and transported to Bronson Hospital in Battle Creek for further treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The offender was lodged at the Calhoun County Jail for numerous felony charges related to this case and is awaiting arraignment.
