SALISBURY, N.C. — A Rockwell man died after being struck in the head with a stick, and sheriff’s deputies have charged a suspect with voluntary manslaughter, authorities said Monday.
The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office said Jay Dustin Lear, 42, charged at Billy Joe Carpenter, 47, during an argument late Sunday night and hit him with the stick, news outlets reported.
As the two men reached a neighbor’s driveway, detectives said Carpenter fell face first and was bleeding from a gash on his forehead. He died at the scene, the sheriff’s department said.
Lear fled the scene but was apprehended at his house. He was jailed on a $25,000 secured bond and online records didn’t indicate whether he has an attorney.
