NITRO, WV – A 77-year-old West Virginia man was arrested after he allegedly used an axe, a gun, and his feet to try to break down a bedroom door and kill his wife, who had locked herself inside and called 911, authorities said.
Warren Bruce Crowder was taken into custody early Monday morning after deputies with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department responded to a domestic call at approximately 4 a.m. at the couple’s residence near Nitro.
When officers arrived, they found the victim standing at the bedroom window and Crowder still attempting to kick down the door. Bullet holes and shrapnel were visible in the door where Crowder had fired a gun through it multiple times, authorities said.
The victim had barricaded herself in the bedroom and called police after an argument between the couple escalated, according to charging documents.
Investigators said Crowder used multiple methods to try to breach the locked door, including firing a handgun through it, chopping at it with an axe, and kicking it with his feet. The victim was on the other side of the door throughout the ordeal.
During his arrest, Crowder admitted his actions to police. He told officers he “was angry, knowing that she was hiding 3 or 4 feet in front of the door in a bed,” according to the criminal complaint.
Crowder has been charged with attempted murder and wanton endangerment. A magistrate set bond at $50,000 cash-only.
The victim was not physically injured during the incident.
Give the dangerous man 23 years in prison