Published: November 05, 2009 08:45 am      

Ongoing dispute escalates into a fight in HAWL

CARRIERE — An ongoing dispute escalated into a fight Monday afternoon at a home in Hide-A-Way Lake.

The Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department received a call about the incident that evening at about 5:23 that led to Troy Dalton Smith, 24, of 71 Hidden Oaks Rd., Carriere being charged with residential burglary for the alleged assault of a HAWL resident.

Chief Deputy Shane Tucker said the incident took place at a home located on Nutbush Dr., in the gated community when Smith pulled up to the residence, knocked on the victim’s door. When the victim answered Smith began to beat him with a small weapon, believed to be a small pipe like object, clinched in his fist.

Then the fight moved inside the home. After a while, the fight moved outside the home and when the victim began to get the upper hand Smith headed back to his vehicle where he allegedly acquired a wooden bat. Smith then allegedly used the bat to continue assaulting the victim, Tucker said.

Tucker said at some point during the fight, one of the other people at the home called the Sheriff’s Department. Smith was stopped by deputies on West Lakeshore Drive who were responding to the call when he attempted to escape the gated community.

The victim was taken to Highland Hospital for treatment of his wounds, but was later released, Tucker said.

The reason Smith was charged with residential burglary is due to the fact that he entered the home and committed another crime. Tucker said residential burglary does not always entail something being taken from a residence. A person can be charged with residential burglary by entering another person’s home with the intent of committing another crime, such as theft, vandalism, assault or rape.

Tucker said the incident is still under investigation but did say that the victim and Smith have been engaged in an ongoing feud.

It is currently unclear how Smith entered the gated community.