IONIA COUNTY, Mich. — A suspect has been charged after police say he used a sword during an armed robbery and stabbed a clerk in Ionia County on Halloween.
Police suspect Jonathan Wroten, 36, walked into More Purks, in the 700 block of W. Lincoln Avenue in Ionia on Sunday and demanded money and cigarettes.
We're told Wroten was dressed in all black and carrying a katana sword when he walked into the store and attempted to use a rope to tie the door shut from the outside.
The suspect was a store regular, according to manager Jessica Bowen, who told 13 On Your Side she initially thought she'd found herself in the middle of a Halloween prank.
Wroten was confronted by Bowen and another clerk within the store, who opened the door to ask what was going on, according to a Sunday media release.
Police said the clerk tried to flee back into the store and the suspect followed him and continued slashing and hacking at the clerk’s head and neck, causing severe injuries.
Bowen and her daughter, meanwhile, were still in the parking lot as the confrontation played out.
"I told her to lock the doors and stay down," Bowen related. "When I got to him, he swung his sword and by then, Teddy realized I was outside yelling… he took his sword and shoved it through him."
Bowen told 13 On Your Side Wroten was typically mild-mannered and never suspected him to be capable of such an act.
"He didn’t even look like himself. He didn’t look like he was there," she said. "After he grabbed his bag to leave, he said you guys have a nice day. It was really weird."
We're told the store clerk suffered injuries to his neck, shoulder and head.
The Ionia County Sheriff's Office says he has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home.
In court on Monday, Wroten was arraigned on the following charges: assault with intent to murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, armed robbery, and several counts of resisting arrest.
He was not granted bond.
Online records show Wroten has most recently served a year in prison for possession of marijuana and cocaine and was released in 2017.
Wroten also served five years in prison for first-degree criminal sexual conduct for a person under 13 in Kent County.
The Michigan Department of Corrections also shows Wroten has served probation for possession of methamphetamine and cocaine.
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