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Woman Attacked With Hammer; Suspect Arrested

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By GEORGE H. NEWMAN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 9, 2008

PLANT CITY - A 24-year-old Plant City woman was hit in the head with a hammer as she approached her truck Dec. 28 in the Bruton Memorial Library parking lot, police said.

A suspect was arrested a few minutes later after being chased by police through a nearby grocery store, police officials said.

Joshua Chandler, 17, 4443 Chandler Ave., off Turkey Creek Road, was arrested by Plant City police and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, police said.

Witnesses told police they saw the attack on the woman outside the library at 302 McLendon St. about 2:45 p.m. She screamed as the assailant raised the hammer to strike her a second time, witness Habab Hass said. The assailant ran south from the library toward the Sweetbay Supermarket.

Chandler - whose camouflage pants and a grey sweatshirt matched the description of the suspect, police spokesman Sgt. Jim Shultz said - was approached by a police officer in the east parking lot of the grocery at 597 S. Wheeler St. Chandler ran through the store and exited through the stock room on the west side of the building, Shultz said.

"Eyewitnesses identified Chandler as the attacker," Shultz said.

An officer found a hammer inside the store after the chase, he said.

Chandler denied he was the attacker, Shultz said.

Chandler was being held in a juvenile facility in Tampa, Shultz said.

The woman was taken to South Florida Baptist Hospital and was released after being treated for a head wound and tested for a possible concussion, police said.

Reporter George H. Newman can be reached at (813) 865-4451 or gnewman@tampatrib.com.

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