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Yavapai County: Donald Purcell arrested for attacking neighbor over ongoing dispute

Posted at 4:15 PM, Nov 08, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-08 18:30:01-05

Authorities in Yavapai County have arrested a man for attacking his neighbor over an ongoing dispute regarding items left outside.

A release from the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office says deputies responded to the 13000 block of Crown King Road in Cleator around 7 p.m. on November 4.

Those first on the scene arrived to find a 60-year-old woman lying on the ground covered in blood with severe head injuries, including deep cuts. The woman was unable to speak and was flown to a Phoenix-area hospital for treatment, according to a sheriff's office spokesman.

The person who called 911 said the woman and a neighbor, 56-year-old Donald Purcell, had been in an argument earlier in the day. Investigators say some of Purcell's property was blocking access to the front of the woman's home. She asked him to move the items and he refused, according to a news release.

The woman later moved the items to Purcell's driveway, but deputies say this particular dispute has been ongoing for some time.

Purcell, who was wearing only shorts, denied knowing anything about what happened to the victim when deputies spoke to him at his home. Authorities say they noticed scratches on his legs, a cut on one of his fingers and some blood on his wrist. Also, a pair of shoes nearby had visible blood droplets on them.

Purcell was taken into custody and continued to deny involvement in the assault, police said. He was later arrested and charged with 2nd Degree Attempted Murder and Aggravated Assault.

A judge has set his bond at $80,000 and he remained in custody as of Tuesday afternoon, Yavapai County said.

The victim, who has not been identified, remains in intensive care as a result of several blunt-force trauma injuries to the head.

Cleator, AZ is located approximately 20 miles south of Prescott Valley.