Homeless man, 35, charged with attempted murder in beating

Thomas Beasley, 35, was arrested on New Year's Eve and charged with attempted first degree murder and aggravated assault.
Thomas Beasley, 35, was arrested on New Year's Eve and charged with attempted first degree murder and aggravated assault.

A 35-year-old homeless man is accused of beating another man nearly to death after the man flirted with the homeless man's mother, police documents show.

Thomas Beasley has been indicted on charges of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault for the incident, which happened on Sept. 17. He was arrested on Wednesday, after the indictment.

Police say Beasley and his family were drinking beer at a homeless camp near the Wal-Mart on Greenway View Drive in Brainerd when one of the family's friends, Michael Falgout, started flirting with Beasley's mother.

photo Thomas Beasley, 35, was arrested on New Year's Eve and charged with attempted first degree murder and aggravated assault.

His mother told police that Beasley and Falgout left the group and walked toward Wal-Mart to purchase more beer when a fight broke out. She said her son returned to the homeless camp after police broke up the fight and boasted to her about how he had injured Falgout. He then fled.

Falgout suffered several skull fractures and one open skull fracture. He also had several facial fractures, eye damage and abrasions all over his body, according to the affidavit.

Officers found half of a bloody wooden stick at the crime scene. The other half of the stick was later found at the homeless camp.

The case originally was dismissed from Hamilton County General Sessions Court, but was recently presented directly to a grand jury, which returned a criminal indictment.

Beasley is scheduled to appear Jan. 16 in Hamilton County Criminal Court.

Contact staff writer Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com with tips or story ideas.

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