Jilted man held in beating attack

Raul H. Garcia returned to Fort Wayne to reconcile with his estranged wife, but allegedly hit the woman in the head when she rejected him, according to court documents.

Garcia, 68, of the 7000 block of U.S. 33, told police he came back from North Carolina to get his wife to sign divorce papers. He didn’t have a place to stay, so the woman let Garcia stay with her Sunday.

When the woman got home from a birthday party, Garcia asked whether the two could reconcile. Garcia said the woman declined and then started to laugh at him, court papers said.

The woman told police Garcia started to choke her and then hit her repeatedly in the head with a hammer. She was able to get away and run next door to her daughter’s house.

Police said the woman had multiple injuries to her head, including a cut to her forehead that required stitches.

Garcia told police he didn’t know why he hit the woman in the head. He is preliminarily charged with aggravated battery, strangulation, battery and criminal recklessness and is being held in the Allen County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.