Staff report

HAWTHORNE, Fla. – Corey Austin Louis Shanley, 25, of Hawthorne, was arrested yesterday and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after allegedly hitting another man in the head with a 2″x6″ board at a gas station.

At about 12:28 p.m. on Monday, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to the Texaco at 6850 SE U.S. Hwy 301 in Hawthorne regarding a report of an aggravated battery.

The victim reportedly told the deputy that he had been washing a car when an unknown man hit him in the head with a board; he said he didn’t know his assailant. The deputy noted that the victim had a 3-inch laceration above his right eye that showed parts of the skull. The victim was transported to a hospital for treatment.

Read Related Also: SEE IT: Alex Murdaugh Cries as 911 Call From Crime Scene Is Played in Court

Witnesses reportedly identified the suspect as Shanley, and the board was described as a 2″x6″ board.

The deputy made contact with Shanley at his home. Post Miranda, Shanley reportedly said he had hit the victim because the victim stole his four-wheeler several years ago. He reportedly said he hit the victim in the leg with the board before hitting him in the head; he said he wanted to put the victim “to sleep” and asked the deputy whether he had knocked out the victim. Shanley reportedly said he had thrown the board into the woods on his way home, but he did not give a specific location, and the board has not been found.

Shanley has no criminal history but was arrested in 2017 for possession of alcohol under 21 (he completed a deferred prosecution agreement) and in 2019 for possession of marijuana (the charge was later dropped). Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $100,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.