Dowelltown Man Charged with Raping Woman at Knifepoint

A Dowelltown man is charged with the aggravated assault and rape of a woman last week.
29 year old Joseph Stephen Audas of Circle Drive, Dowelltown is under a $35,000 bond and he will be in court July 24 on charges of aggravated assault and aggravated rape.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Thursday, July 10 Audas allegedly tied the woman’s wrist and hands with a belt and held her down at knifepoint while hitting her in the face. During the assault, Audas allegedly struck the woman’s left ear and cut her under the chin and throat with the knife. He then allegedly raped the woman by digital penetration while armed with the knife and threatened to kill her if she refused to cooperate.
36 year old Steven Anthony Nelson of Tracy City, Tennessee is charged with violation of bond conditions and coercion of a witness. His bond is $10,000 and he will be in court July 24. Sheriff Ray said that on Tuesday, July 8, a deputy was dispatched to the hospital where he spoke with a woman who reported that her husband, Nelson had come into her home while she slept. When she awoke, the woman found Nelson standing over her. Nelson allegedly got the woman out of bed and threatened her, saying that if she did not drop domestic assault warrants against him, his father would come to her home and shoot her in the face. Nelson continued making threats against the woman until she left the residence.
Nelson was previously arrested on Thursday, July 3rd for the domestic assault of his wife. In that case, Sheriff Ray said a deputy responded to a South College Street apartment in reference to a domestic assault which occurred at a residence on Allen Street. The officer spoke with a woman who said that she and her husband, Nelson had gotten into a verbal argument and that he began threatening her. The woman said she picked up a pan from the kitchen sink to keep her husband away from her but Nelson pushed his wife to the ground and began hitting her, causing a cut to the nose, a swollen eye, and scrapes to her elbows. Nelson’s friends, who were present, pulled him away from the woman. She then left the residence. Nelson was determined to have been the primary aggressor and he was arrested.
21 year old Ann Kathryn Pursell of Circle Drive, Dowelltown is charged with domestic assault. Her bond is $2,500 and she will be in court July 24. Sheriff Ray said that on Thursday, July 10 a deputy was dispatched to Pursell’s home in reference to a physical domestic in progress. Upon his arrival, the officer spoke with Pursell and a man. According to the man, Pursell punched him in the face, scratched the right side of his face, and the back of his neck. Pursell admitted to punching and scratching him and she was placed under arrest.
63 year old Joseph Lawrence Battle of Backbone Road, Sparta is charged with driving under the influence. He was further issued a citation for driving on roads laned for traffic. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court August 21. Sheriff Ray said that on Friday, July 11 while a deputy was patrolling on Highway 70, he spotted a white Nissan Maxima cross over into the opposite lane of travel several times. The officer conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle. The driver, Battle stumbled out of the car. The deputy had him to get back in the automobile. He then asked the man for his license and inquired about what he had been drinking. Battle replied that he had consumed a few glasses of wine. The officer got Battle out of the vehicle and detected an odor of alcohol on his person. Battle submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. He also took a blood test and was charged.
40 year old Chrissy Michelle Evans of West Main Street, Dowelltown is charged with domestic assault and violation of bond conditions. Her bond is $10,000 and she will be in court July 17. Sheriff Ray said that on Saturday, July 12 Evans allegedly assaulted her husband apparently at his residence on Sims Street in Dowelltown. During the altercation, she ripped the shirt off of him and left marks on his chest and left arm. After an investigation it was determined that Evans was the primary aggressor. She was placed under arrest. Evans had violated her bond conditions in a previous case by coming around her husband. Those bond conditions expire on December 23, 2014.
22 year old Amanda Marie Hatfield of Adcock Cemetery Road, Smithville is charged with domestic assault. Her bond is $1,500 and she will be in court July 17. Sheriff Ray said that on Sunday, July 13 a deputy responded to Hatfield’s residence in answer to a domestic call. Upon arrival, the officer spoke with Hatfield and a man. Both said there had been an altercation and that Hatfield had started it by punching the man. Hatfield also allegedly bit the man on the arm, leaving a contusion. Hatfield suffered a busted lip after the man punched her in the mouth. In another incident that day, Sheriff Ray said Hatfield started an argument with the man and began spitting on him while he was holding children. By her own admission, Hatfield was the primary aggressor in both situations. She was placed under arrest.