Elderly man assaulted while answering door

SPENCER, Ind. (WXIN) - Spencer Police (Owen County) are looking for a man they say badly beat up a 70 year-old man, breaking his jaw in multiple places.

They say the victim did nothing but open his front door.

It happened on the north east side of Spencer at the corner of West Market Street and Sycamore.


It's a town that's best known as a sleepy retirement community where doors remain unlocked and residents are greeted by name. So when Dallas Scamihorn's doorbell rang at 10:30p.m. Monday night, he didn't think twice about answering it.

"He said, 'does somebody live here?' and I said, 'no he does not."

Dallas then suggested the man try the house across the street.

"At that point he moved back here looking at my number and he says, 'this is where he's supposed to be. 'And I turned this way and I said, 'I'm sorry he's not.' I started to go in and nailed me right here and I landed right there," explained Scamihorn.

The 70 year-old man says he was punched square across the face breaking his jaw in several places, rendering him unconscious.

"He got me with more than just a fist to do that kind of damage. I don't know if he had a short piece of pipe or knuckles or what."

The hit was so hard it caused his roommate to run outside.

"The side of his face was all bloody and swelled off and the guy took off and went up the side street," said roommate Clarence Franklin.

Franklin says the suspect was last seen running south towards the city cemetery and within 30 seconds police arrived.

"We did use K-9 that night. The dog tracked him to an alley and stopped so we assume that the individual either got into a vehicle or possible a bicycle," says Deputy Marshall Greg Melton.

Police say they aren't sure what the motive is, but Dallas thinks it could be drug-related.

"I think he was strung out on something the way he acted," he told Fox 59.

Whatever the reason, this sleepy little town has now been abruptly woken up and afraid to nod off anytime soon.

"I never locked the house, never ever, and we'll be changing that okay," Scamihorn said.

Police say nothing was stolen from the victim but they want to encourage residents to be extra cautious and report any suspicious activity to police.

The suspect is described as having a dark complexion (possibly of Middle Eastern descent), Caucasian male in his early 20s, between 5'7"-6'2".

He was last seen wearing a tan jacket and a toboggan/beanie type of hat, an earring, and had a week-old beard.

Anyone with any information on this individual should contact the Spencer Police Department at (812) 829-3932.