On the afternoon of Saturday, March 28, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) received a report of an assault that had just occurred in the 400 block of Baker’s Circle in Ames. Deputy William Candelari responded to the scene and met with the victim, 54 year old Victoria Denson.
Ms. Denson told Deputy Candelari she was assaulted by Ronald G. Winters, 49, also a resident of the Baker’s Circle address. Denson stated Winters had been on a PCP binge over the past couple of days and had come home looking for more. PCP (Phencyclidine) is an illegal drug that can cause hallucinations and violent behavior. Denson said when Winters could not get any more of the drug, he threatened to kill Denson and assaulted her with a 2X4 piece of wood. Denson had been struck about her head, torso, arms and legs. Winters fled the scene before Candelari arrived. While Denson was not seriously injured, Candelari determined that an assault had indeed occurred.
Deputy Candelari and LCSO Sgt. Floyd Pearson began searching the area for Ronald Winters, and were assisted by officers from Liberty PD and Daisetta PD. They combed the Ames and Raywood areas for over an hour, but could not find Winters. Candelari said they were just about to call off the search when he decided to make one more pass by Denson’s house. It was then Candelari saw that Ronald Winters had just shown up driving a gold 2011 Jeep Liberty.
Candelari approached the Jeep and gave commands for Winters to get out. Candelari stated that Winters didn’t actively resist, but he also didn’t follow orders to get out of the Jeep. One of the symptoms of a person on PCP is that they don’t process visual and audible cues in a normal manner. Candelari was subsequently able to get Winters out of the Jeep and took him into custody without injuring himself or Winters.
After the scene investigation was completed, Ronald Winters was transported to the Liberty County Jail without incident. Winters was booked in for the offense of Aggravated Assault With A Deadly Weapon – Family Violence, a 2nd Degree Felony. His bond was set by Pct. 3 Justice of the Peace Cody Parrish at $25,000.
