Baseball bat ends drug fight

By Linda Williams/TWN Staff Writer
Article Launched: 03/07/2008 11:31:14 AM PST

One Covelo man allegedly beat another following a disappointing drug deal, sending one man to the hospital and the other to Mendocino County jail.

Mendocino County sheriff's deputies were called to the Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital on Tuesday where Michael Borton, 35, of Covelo, was being treated for serious injuries following an alleged assault.

Borton told officers he was beaten with a baseball bat by John Stafford, 35, also of Covelo, earlier that morning, severely breaking his arm. According to reports, Borton was at first vague about details of the assault and the factors leading up to it.

Later Borton told deputies, he and Stafford drove to Oakland on Monday to conduct an unspecified type of drug transaction. Stafford, on the drive back, as relayed to deputies by Borton, expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the transaction, blaming Borton for the bad deal.

Borton further told deputies Stafford called him Tuesday morning, threatening to kill him and insisting Borton owed him $2,000 from the bum deal. While Borton was driving along Airport Road in Covelo at about 8 a.m. Stafford allegedly approached him with a baseball bat, beating him severely. Borton was taken by ambulance to Howard Hospital for treatment.

Deputies located Stafford in Covelo on Tuesday afternoon and arrested him on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and making terrorist threats with bail set at $30,000.