A 44-year-old Maricopa man is facing two felony charges after police say he threatened employees at a local car wash with a baseball bat during a dispute over trespassing, according to InMaricopa.
Police arrested Derrick Williams on Sept. 25 after officers were called to Dash Express on John Wayne Parkway and Hathaway Avenue for a report of an unwanted person, according to a probable cause statement.
An employee told police Williams had been asked to leave after being found in an employee-only area. The statement says he stayed in the parking lot after being told to go, and when employees approached him, he allegedly took an aluminum baseball bat from his vehicle, brandished it and moved toward them.
Investigators said surveillance video showed Williams holding the bat toward the employees and remaining at the scene after being told to leave. Williams denied brandishing the bat and said he had permission to be in the restricted area and was carrying the bat for self-defense.
Police charged Williams with two counts of aggravated assault with a dangerous instrument and two counts of third-degree criminal trespassing. According to the report, he has a hearing scheduled for later today. The statement also says a similar encounter happened at the same business on Sept. 18, when Williams was found in a restricted area and told to leave.
