Published: January 13, 2009 04:13 pm      

Gauley man hospitalized after stabbing

Fugitive caught in separate incident

A Gauley Bridge man was hospitalized and two men arrested after a verbal altercation turned physical late Saturday in Gauley Bridge.

According to Gauley Bridge Police Chief L.S. Whipkey, Randal Gene Thomas, 48, a resident of the New River Lodge on Main Street, was stabbed at the lodge by Willie Devon Lowery, 35, of Maxton, N.C.

Lowery was charged with malicious wounding, and a third man, Kevin Paul Altizer, 33, of Mount Hope, was charged with brandishing a dangerous weapon after he waved a knife toward one of the responding officers.

All three men had been drinking, Whipkey said.

Gauley Bridge Patrolmen C.L. Burkhamer and W.B. Secrist responded to the scene.

Thomas remained under evaluation in the trauma unit at Charleston Area Medical Center General Division Monday, said a spokesman.

Lowery and Altizer were transported to Southern Regional Jail. According to jail records, Lowery remained incarcerated as of Monday afternoon. He was being held in lieu of $10,000 bond. Altizer was released on $1,000 bond Sunday.



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Earlier Saturday, a fugitive from justice in Illinois was arrested in town, according to Whipkey.

Patrolman Burkhamer pulled over a vehicle driven by Samuel F. Stewart, 28, of Peoria, Ill. on a routine traffic stop.

Burkhamer then discovered Stewart was being sought by Illinois officials for parole violations. Stewart was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and with parole violations. He appeared before Fayette County Magistrate Charles Garvin and was then transported to Southern Regional Jail.