SANDPOINT — A Sandpoint man was arrested last weekend for allegedly hitting another man in the face with a metal bat and taking his cellphone.

Richard Casey Townsend is charged with robbery and aggravated battery in connection with the alleged attack and possession of methamphetamine in connection with his arrest by Sandpoint Police, court records indicate. Townsend made an initial appearance in Bonner County Magistrate Court on Monday via video link from the vjail. Judge Lori Meulenberg set Townsend’s bail at $27,000 and appointed a public defender to represent him.

The alleged victim, 33, told police he was awakened at around 4 a.m. on Saturday by the blow to the face and Townsend’s demand that he turn over his phone, a probable cause affidavit said. Townsend was later found riding the alleged victim’s bike at Ella Avenue and Hickory Street.

Townsend, 30, denied any knowledge of the attack and told officers the alleged victim must have made the story up, the affidavit said. However, the alleged victim had documented facial fractures as a result of the incident, court records indicate.

A unspecified amount of meth was found in a cigarette pack when Townsend was arrested. Townsend admitted to using meth intravenously and described himself as a “dropout gang member” from California, according to the affidavit.

Charging documents indicate the prosecution is seeking a sentencing enhancement for using a deadly weapon during the commission of the underlying offenses. The enhancement would add 15 years to his sentence if convicted.

Townsend was convicted as a juvenile of burglary in 1998 and 2002, according to the Idaho Supreme Court Data Repository.

The repository further shows that Townsend was convicted of battery as a juvenile in 2002.