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A Coalville man was arrested Sunday night after police say he struck a McDonald's employee with a sledgehammer before hitting the victim with a pickup truck.
Christian Davalos, 18, is charged with assault while displaying a dangerous weapon, an aggravated misdemeanor, in relation to the incident at approximately 9:55 p.m.
Fort Dodge Police responded to the restaurant at 2509 Fifth Ave. S. for a report of a pedestrian hit by a vehicle. The victim told police that he was confronted by Davalos and one other man as they arrived to work about a "burglary" the alleged assailants accused the victim of committing, the criminal complaint said.
Fort Dodge Police Department Public Information Officer Capt. Ryan Gruenberg said in a statement that the argument preceding the alleged assault was over accusations of stealing a dog.
Davalos and the other man arrived several minutes before the victim reported to work, asking staff if that person was working that night, before returning to their truck and waiting. The confrontation got physical when one of the men, unspecified by the police report, grabbed a sledgehammer from the back of the pickup and struck the victim in the side with it.
Davalos was identified by a statement from himself as well as witness statements, the police report noted.
The victim claimed the truck intentionally aimed to hit him as the defendant and the other man fled the scene. That characterization was corroborated by other witnesses, the complaint said.
Gruenberg said the vehicle knocked the victim to the ground.
Davalos admitted in a statement to being the driver, the criminal complaint detailed, and the other man in the truck "admits they struck (the victim) with the truck as they were fleeing."
The victim was transported to UnityPoint Health -- Trinity Regional Medical Center by private vehicle, where he was treated for injuries to the knees and one arm. The victim's vehicle was also damaged in the attack, Gruenberg said.
Officers tracked Davalos' vehicle, based on a description, to Coalville, where the defendant was arrested.
A preliminary hearing for Davalos is scheduled for Dec. 30. He is being held in the Webster County Jail on a $2,000 cash or surety bond.