Second suspect charged in May assault; Act allegedly caught on Snapchat video
Published 8:43 am Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Opoka James Nathanael, also known as Opkoa James Bot Lob Nathanael, 21, of Austin was charged on Tuesday in Mower County District Court with felony third-degree assault-substantial bodily harm.
According to the court complaint, police were called at 1:27 p.m. on May 26 regarding a fight in the 500 block of South Main Street. Officers responded to the scene and another officer drove down Fourth Avenue Southeast, where several individuals at a residence in the 300 block flagged him down, saying there was an injured man in the house.
The victim said two black males got out of a black car and assaulted him, according to the complaint. There were varying accounts as to where the assault took place, but a Snapchat video provided by one of the witnesses showed Nathanael and Cham Nygare Gilo of Austin assaulting the victim at a residence in the 200 block of Third Avenue Southwest. The witness also said Nathanael and Gilo left the scene in a car driven by an adult female.
The complaint further states the victim was transported by ambulance to Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin, where a doctor classified his injury, a right orbital floor fracture, as “substantial bodily harm.”
At the time, law enforcement was unable to find Nathanael and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was arrested on Sunday.
Nathanael’s co-defendant, Gilo, was charged with felony third-degree assault-substantial bodily harm on June 11. Since then, he has twice failed to show up for a hearing and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
A review of Nathanael’s criminal record shows a juvenile conviction for theft.
Nathanael will appear in court again on Nov. 26.