One of three men charged with assaulting a man on the Fourth of July has pleaded guilty to one of his charges.

Andrew Taylor Nelson, 19, of Kalispell entered the plea Thursday in Flathead District Court to a charge of felony assault with a weapon.

Nelson initially was charged with felony aggravated assault in addition to the weapon charge after beating Antonio Valencia with a golf club until it broke during an altercation at the Ferndale Market.

The aggravated assault charge was dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

During his testimony Thursday, Nelson responded to questions indicating only that he had been involved in a “run-in” at the market, that Valencia had been aggressive toward him, and that he had purposely caused bodily injury to Valencia.

A court document in the case went into greater detail, relating that Valencia said he had been driving home to Ferndale when he was tailgated by a green Subaru, which was joined by another vehicle after some road rage between Valencia and the Subaru’s occupants.

Nelson was accompanied in his vehicle by Gaige Christopher Mower, 20, of Somers, and Ryan Horn, 19, of Kalispell.

Valencia said he then pulled into the market because he was afraid and knew there would be other people there.

The document states that as soon as Valencia got out of his vehicle, he was approached by three men — later identified as Nelson, Horn, and Mower — as well as a fourth person from the second tailing vehicle.

Nelson, Horn and Mower attacked Valencia immediately, according to the court document. Nelson hit Valencia multiple times with a golf club, breaking the club, while Horn and Mower are alleged to have punched and kicked him.

Valencia’s injuries included a fractured vertebra in his neck, according to his brother Thomas.

The attack was captured on cellphone video as well as video surveillance footage from the market.

The plea agreement in Nelson’s case call for a sentence of at least six months in the Flathead County Detention Center, where he has already spent a little more than four months. His sentencing is set for Jan. 23, 2014.

Mower and Horn have pleaded not guilty to felony aggravated assault. Each has a trial currently set for Jan. 6, 2014.

Reporter Jesse Davis may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at jdavis@dailyinterlake.com.