COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – A man from Mishawaka, Indiana who is a suspect in a slashing incident last September in Gilead Township was arraigned on three felony assault counts Wednesday in Branch County District Court.
Following an investigation by the Michigan State Police, 62-year-old Mark Edwin Bailey is facing charges of assault with intent to murder, assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and assault with a dangerous weapon.
Bond was set at $100,000 and not guilty pleas were entered. Bailey was told not to have any contact with the alleged victim if he should post bond. A probable cause hearing was scheduled for February 18th with a preliminary exam set for February 25, 2020.
Michigan State Police said at the time of the incident that three men were drinking together at a home on Mercury Road when an argument broke out.
The 58-year-old owner of the residence told one of the men to leave his home. While the suspect was leaving he had a knife in his hand and then allegedly slashed the homeowner on the neck. According to court documents, Bailey claimed it was in self-defense
Documents also indicate the man who was slashed suffered a severe laceration from his left ear to his collar line. He was taken to Parkview Regional Medical Center in Fort Wayne for treatment.
State Police were assisted by the Steuben County Sheriff’s Department.
Bailey lived in Fremont, Indiana at the time of the slashing incident. He also has a pending case in Steuben County for allegedly driving drunk in late September. Court documents also show a 1977 conviction for a robbery in the State of Ohio.
