A 61-year-old homeless man faces charges after attacking another homeless man with a bamboo stick on Saturday in Scranton, police said.
The investigation began when Officer Erica Haines responded to Dunkin’, 100 Mulberry St., around 6:54 a.m. after a man walked into the store with blood on his face, according to a criminal complaint.
Emergency medical personnel told Haines that the male — Charles Parks — had been assaulted by another homeless male — later identified as Miles Nolen — and suffered lacerations on his face, bruising, and a large hematoma on the back of his head, police said.
Haines noted Parks — who was breathing heavily and barely able to carry on a conversation — told police a male named Miles showed up at his tent earlier in the morning and started beating him with a stick and yelling at him for allegedly sleeping with Nolen’s girlfriend, officers said.
Parks — who was transported to Regional Hospital of Scranton for treatment of his injuries — told officers he doesn’t bother anyone and doesn’t speak with Nolen’s girlfriend, police said.
When Haines spoke with Parks at the hospital about Nolen’s location, he was still unable to have a productive conversation and complained of rib pain and difficulty breathing, according to the criminal complaint.
A doctor advised Haines that Parks had broken ribs and a collapsed lung, and would need a chest tube inserted, officers said.
After police located Nolen’s tent near the Mulberry Street bridge, he told officers he went to Parks’ tent and struck him with a bamboo stick for sleeping with his girlfriend, according to the criminal complaint.
Police observed blood on the front of Parks’ tent, and on the ground nearby, officers said.
Officers took Nolen into custody and charged him with aggravated assault, simple assault and harassment.
As of Tuesday, Nolen remained in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 24 at 10:15 a.m.