Kettering man pleads guilty in Centerville park mallet attack of teen girl

Credit: Montgomery County Jail

Credit: Montgomery County Jail

A Kettering man pleaded guilty in a case accusing him of attacking a 17-year-old girl with a rubber mallet.

Johnny Hansen, 34, is facing 12 to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to felonious assault (causing serious harm), felonious assault (with a deadly weapon), two counts of kidnapping and two counts of tampering with evidence, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.

He will also have to register as a Tier III sex offender and a violent offender. A Tier III sex offender is designated for the most serious offenders and have to register with the local sheriff’s office every 90 days.

Hansen is set to be sentenced by Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Richard Skelton on April 29.

Hansen’s defense attorney, Michael Booher, declined comment Monday morning when reached by the Dayton Daily News because Hansen hasn’t been sentenced.

Hansen was accused of using a rubber mallet to attack the teen during the afternoon of Sept. 24 as she was walking on the Iron Horse Park Trail.

“The victim’s screams for help were heard by a neighbor, who witnessed the defendant attacking the girl,” Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. stated in an Oct. 5 news release announcing Hansen’s indictment.

The teen suffered serious cuts on her head, which prosecutors said required dozens of staples. The arrival of the man who lived near the park and heard the girl’s screams halted the attack, police said.

The plea agreement was filed the same day a decision on a motion to suppress was entered by the judge, according to court records. The defense had asked the judge to disallow statements allegedly made by Hansen to police. The judge did suppress some statements but allowed others.

The judge had previously ruled that Hansen was competent to stand trial.

Hansen is currently incarcerated in the Montgomery County Jail on $500,000 bond.

About the Author