One of three men connected to an alleged assault and kidnapping of a Soldotna man last December has been indicted on felony charges.
Kenai resident Rusty Seaman, 31, is charged with kidnapping, an unclassified felony, and assault in the first, second, third and fourth degrees, which are class A, B, and C felonies, while assault 4 is a class A misdemeanor. Kenai Police allege he beat Jordan Newton, 31, with the butt of a handgun on December 29, 2013.
Shawn Seaman, 29 and Johnathon Dalebout, 30, had been originally charged with kidnapping and assault, but the charges were dismissed on April 2. They each face one misdemeanor count of assault in the fourth-degree.
According to the complaint filed by Kenai Police Officer Paul Cushman, Alaska State Troopers first responded to the report that someone had been assaulted at a residence on Honeymoon Cove on December 29, 2013. Newton was taken to Central Peninsula Hospital after he sustained injuries to his face, which required reconstructive surgery to install two metal plates to rebuild his eye socket.
Newton told investigators that Rusty Seaman hit him repeatedly with the butt of a black handgun after he admitted he took some items from Rusty Seaman’s residence. One of the blows struck him in the eye and blood exploded from it, according to the affidavit.
A search warrant was served to Rusty Seaman on Feb. 20, and a black metal “pellet” handgun was found in his residence and a section of his wall had blood spatter consistent with Newton’s account, according to the report.
Rusty Seaman told police he confronted Newton about taking items from him and “punched him two or three times with his fist and then was able to calm down,” according to the affidavit.
Newton told police he had also been assaulted by Shawn Seaman and Dalebout after the initial alleged incident with Rusty Seaman. Newton said he needed to go to the hospital and the two got into Rusty Seaman’s red pickup truck. Before they drove off, Shawn Seaman and Dalebout arrived in a blue Chevy Blazer. The three men ordered Newton into the Blazer, owned by Shawn Seaman.
Rusty Seaman confirmed Newton’s account that Shawn Seaman met them in the parking lot in front of Rusty Seaman’s apartment. Shawn Seaman drove Dalebout and Newton to Soldotna, but turned down a road toward Pillars Boat Launch. He told Newton he was going to have to perform sexual acts for them and they were going to dump him in the river, according to the report.
Newton said the two men got out of the vehicle and Shawn Seaman beat him with a baton five or six times on his knees, ankles and chest. Newton said he got back into the vehicle, locked the doors and attempted to drive away, but he could not see through the blood from his injuries, according to the report.
Newton said Shawn Seaman broke the window with the baton and pulled him out of the vehicle. He was able to escape and ran to a nearby residence and called the police.
Troopers photographed broken glass and tire tracks at the scene of the incident near the boat launch, according to the report. A warrant to search Shawn Seaman’s Chevy Blazer was served. Although the driver’s door glass was intact, police found shards of broken glass on the driver side floor and the vehicle’s tires matched the tread pattern photographed at the scene.
The search warrants issued on Feb. 20 led to the arrests of Rusty Seaman and Dalebout; both are currently jailed at Wildwood Pretrial Facility. Both men will be arraigned in Superior Court in front of Judge Anna Moran at the Kenai Courthouse today at 2:30 p.m.
Soldotna Police arrested Shawn Seaman after a traffic stop on March 15. Officer Mitchell Burdick followed a suspicious truck from the Kenai Spur Highway to the Tesoro gas station on the Sterling Highway. After dispatch informed the officer that Shawn Seaman is a suspect in the ongoing assault case, Burdick placed him under arrest and transported him to Wildwood Pretrial Facility where prison guards found brass knuckles attached to his belt under his snow pants.
Shawn Seaman was charged for promoting contraband in the first-degree, a class C felony as well as three misdemeanors, misconduct involving a weapon 4, driving with a suspended license and no proof of insurance.
Shawn Seaman was released to third party custodian Peter Labarbera after two separate bonds that totaled $6,000 in cash were paid on April 10, according to court records. His next court date is an arraignment before Judge Charles Huguelet on May 20 at the Kenai Courthouse.
On March 12, Newton pled guilty to a theft 2 charge and guilty to possession of a controlled substance 4 in a separate case. Both offenses occurred last December, according to court records. He is currently out on parole.
Reach Dan Balmer at daniel.balmer@peninsulaclarion.com.
