Written by: E. George
Published March 16, 2024 @ 9:15 PM ET
HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. – Officers arrested a man on February 13, 2024, for entering a woman’s home and striking her repeatedly with a baseball bat, causing her severe injuries. The victim explained that she awakened to being hit in the head with a wooden bat wielded by Paul Kevin Berry, a man against whom she possessed a no-contact order.
At approximately 1:45 PM, law enforcement received a report of a naked female outside screaming for help, stating she had been beaten. Dispatch advised that her head was bleeding heavily.
Upon arrival, they observed a blood trail leading from inside the house to the front yard. The victim was bleeding severely from the head while EMS treated her.
The officers noted droplets of blood on the screen door as they followed the blood trail down the hall, where they found blood splatter in her bedroom. They returned outside and interviewed the victim inside the ambulance.
She said she awoke to Berry beating her with a brown bat, striking her several times before she finally escaped. She ran out the front door, naked, screaming for help.
She believed the attack stemmed from an October incident in which she called the police on Berry. The officers contacted the Houston County Detention Center and verified the active bond order preventing Berry from contacting the victim.
They observed “blood all over her face and the back of her head.” Due to the bandages applied by emergency medical personnel, they could not see the injuries clearly.
They discovered a brown sweater containing blood splatter near a patch of blood-stained grass.
A witness recalled hearing the victim screaming while he worked on his house. He ran outside and found her running into her front yard, naked and bloody.
He also spotted a man running into the house holding an unknown item. He provided the victim with a jacket and waited with her until help arrived.
He said she kept repeating, “He tried to kill me. Why would he do this to me? He already threatened to kill my dad.”
A second witness said she went outside and saw the first witness tending to the victim but did not see the suspect. She provided the victim with a blanket and heard her asking why “he” would try to kill her.
Officers located Berry’s truck, and when they arrested him, he refused to speak.
A Houston County Magistrate Court Judge signed a search warrant for Berry’s vehicle. Officers did not locate the bat; however, they discovered a knife on his person and a roll of duct tape, rope, and a shovel behind the passenger seat.
They transported him to the Warner Robins Police Department, where he was charged with aggravated assault and aggravated stalking. This case is pending in court.
Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]
On 02/13/2024, at approximately 13:43 hours, FTO Chittenden and I, Officer Guthrie, were dispatched to [REDACTED BY AGENCY] in reference to a female outside, naked, screaming for help, saying she had been beaten. Dispatch advised that the female was bleeding from the head. Prior to our arrival, other officers on scene cleared the residence of any suspects. The victim identified as [VICTIM #1], was being treated by EMS.
Officers relayed the female was bleeding severely from the head. They advised there were drops of blood from outside leading into the residence, down the hallway to the victims bedroom. We observed the droplets of blood, blood on the screen door, drops of blood in the hallway, and blood splatter in the victims bedroom. We then went and made contact with Ms. [VICTIM #1] while she was in the ambulance.
Ms. [VICTIM #1] stated that she was asleep in her bed when she heard a noise. She was then awakened by being struck in the head with a baseball bat. She described the bat as being brown and wooden. She described the suspect as [REDACTED BY AGENCY], Mr. Paul Berry. She stated that he continued to strike her several times until she was able to escape her bedroom. She ran down the hallway out the front door, naked, screaming for help. she stated that she believes this happened because of an incident that took place in October where she called the police on Mr. Berry. Ms. [VICTIM #1] stated that there was a no contact order in place. This was verified by the Houston County Detention Center. Judge Lukemire signed a bond order on October 26 2023, that states, “Mr. Berry is to have no contact with [REDACTED] or [VICTIM #1]”.
We observed blood all over her face and to the back of her head. Due to being bandaged by EMS we could not see the injuries clearly. Photos were taken of her and attached to RMS. Photos of the scene were also taken and attached to RMS. In the front yard near the driveway we located what appeared to be a brown sweater with blood splatter. There was a patch of blood stained grass next to the sweater. We then went and made contact with witnesses [REDACTED BY AGENCY] stated that while he was working on his house he heard screaming coming from outside. He advised that he ran outside and witnessed [MS]. [VICTIM #1] running into her front yard, naked and bloody, screaming for help. He advised that he saw a man holding something run into the house.
He advised that he could not identify the man nor what he was wearing. He advised that he stood with Ms. [VICTIM #1] until police arrived, and gave her a jacket to cover up. He also advised that she kept saying, “He tried to kill me. why would he do this to me? He already threatened to kill my dad.”
[REDACTED BY AGENCY] advised that she went out after [REDACTED BY AGENCY] was already taking care of Ms. [VICTIM #1], She advised that she gave Ms. [VICTIM #1] a blanket. She also advised that she heard Ms. [VICTIM #1] asking why [REDACTED BY AGENCY] would try to kill her. She advised that she had not seen the suspect.
Sgt Mann was advised of this incident.
At approximately 14:39 hours Officer Turner advised he located the suspect vehicle, a blue 2013 GMC Sierra (GA Tag: [REDACTED]). He took custody of the suspect (see his supplemental report). I read Mr. Berry his Miranda Warning and he refused to speak. A tow sheet was filled out and the vehicle was transported to the Warner Robins Police Department (WRPD). Officer Chittenden and myself transported Mr. Berry to WRPD where he was turned over to booking for processing.
Due to believing the weapon used in this crime was in the vehicle, a search warrant was signed by Houston County Magistrate Court Judge Stout. Before the search, photos were taken of the vehicle. During the search the bat was not located however, a roll of duct tape, rope, and a shovel were located behind the passenger seat. A copy of the search warrant was left inside of the vehicle.
The keys to the vehicle and a knife located on Mr. Berry were placed into property.
Due to NIBRS error, “NIBRS does not allow mutually exclusive offenses linked to the same victim”, aggravated stalking could not be listed in the offense section.
Warrants for Aggravated Assault (FV) and Aggravated Stalking (FV) were signed by Judge Stout.
[End of Narrative]