Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

An Austin man has been arrested and charged with felony assault after allegedly attacking and striking a woman with a hammer last month.

Niles Jason Fitzpatrick, 20, made a first appearance in Mower County District Court Friday morning where he was charged with two counts of felony second degree assault with a dangerous weapon.

According to the court complaint, Austin Police Department officers were dispatched to the 600 block of Second Avenue NW at around 9:22 p.m. on March 29. When they arrived they came into contact with an adult female who said she was hit with a hammer by a person she didn’t know.

Officers found a hammer, a hat and a glasses case in the street and a witness indicated that glasses located near the curb in front of the residence belonged to Fitzpatrick.

The victim herself was found in front of an apartment with a large amount of fresh blood running down the side of her neck and chest.

The victim told police that a white car had pulled up across the street and that she went over to tell them to leave. Fitzpatrick was with two other people and  immediately got out of the car, allegedly holding a hammer.

The victim said she tried to run, but Fitzpatrick was able to grab her shirt and shoved her against another vehicle that was parked and then shoved her to the ground, allegedly striking her multiple times.

He then got in the car with the others and they drove away as the police were coming.

Another witness stated he had heard a commotion and tried to ignore it until he heard someone scream that you don’t hit a pregnant woman. The witness said he saw a white SUV and black Chrysler were in the road. Both left before police arrived.

The complaint goes on to say officers made contact with the three, one of which being a juvenile who along with Thaban Jeffers claimed that the woman had the hammer and hit the vehicle, however, officers found no damage to the vehicle.

Another victim, who tried to break up the fight and was subsequently struck in the hand, claiming it was struck by an object that was silver.

The first victim was transported to Mayo Clinic Health Systems-Austin with injuries to her head.