Alpine man accused of assaulting mentally disabled man (+MUG)

An Alpine man accused of injury to a disabled person had a pretrial hearing Tuesday during which his defense attorney asked for a continuation of the case.

William Lee Dodson, 46, is charged in connection with a May 23, 2009, report of an assault on a 49-year-old mentally disabled man, David Wayne Kane.

Defense attorney Tracey Scown said she was having trouble finding the victim and initially requested an ordered deposition. Instead, she asked for the case to be continued for 30 days, which 70th District Judge Denn Whalen granted.

According to an arrest affidavit, Kane and a woman living with him said as the two moved into a new residence, Dodson “bullied” his way in and took over the residence.

The 71-year-old woman, Lenora Milanes, was a cancer patient and the man is legally disabled and classified as mentally handicapped and mentally retarded, according to the affidavit.

Dodson came into the kitchen May 23, 2009, according to the affidavit, and began calling Kane names while the man was working on the stove. Kane left the room because he said Dodson often became violent.

According to the affidavit, Dodson entered the bedroom where Kane and Milanes were watching TV, started yelling at Kane and then began to punch Kane in the face, knocking him off the bed.

Milanes said in the affidavit the assault was so brutal, it even knocked her off the bed, although she was not injured.

The two stayed in the bedroom when Dodson left, according to the affidavit, when Kane’s face began to swell and he went to the hospital.

Kane had a swollen left check, bruises on his left bicep and broken facial bones when he went to the hospital, according to the affidavit. According to an indictment, he also had broken teeth.

According to the affidavit, Kane then “had to sneak out of the house” to call investigators because Dodson still would not leave their house. Kane then went to the Odessa Police Department and identified Dodson from a photo. Dodson was arrested the next day, May 27, 2009.

He was being held Tuesday at the Ector County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond.

@OAcourts