Published: February 09, 2009 12:31 pm      

Husband charged in gas station attack

A Carroll County man remains in jail after attacking his wife inside a convenience store over the weekend.

Late Friday night, Logansport police responded to McClure Gas Station at 300 Burlington Ave. after an employee called 9-1-1 to report a man trying to physically remove a woman from the store. An officer arrived to find a man not employed at the gas station walking from behind the counter and a woman huddled nearby with bleeding from the mouth, redness on her neck and her shirt torn off.

As the officer tried to apprehend the man, he reportedly resisted and had to be taken to the ground. Police arrested 45-year-old Royce Richardson of Camden on charges of strangulation, domestic battery, invasion of privacy, resisting law enforcement and possession of paraphernalia.

According to the victim, Daphne Richardson, the assault reportedly began at the couple’s Camden residence earlier that day.

Richardson reportedly threw his wife onto the bed, wrapped a belt around her neck and tightened it until she nearly lost consciousness. She said he repeated the choking several times. She thought he was going to kill her. He also reportedly stomped on the top of her feet.

Richardson reportedly drove his wife and their 8-year-old son into Logansport when Richardson ran out of cigarettes. Police said he reportedly did not go to Delphi because he had been arrested there for domestic violence and would be in violation of no-contact order if caught.

As they arrived at McClure Gas Station, she exited the truck and took off running toward the store. Police said he caught up to her and tried dragging her back to the truck, but she escaped his grasp and went behind the counter. She told police that he followed and began choking her.

Surveillance video captured the incident on tape.

While taking Richardson into custody, police reported finding a drug smoking device in his possession.

Police contacted the Cass County Domestic Violence Task Force, which provided a safe house for the victim and her son.

Kevin Lilly can be reached at (574) 732-5117, or via e-mail at kevin.lilly@pharostribune.com