Cedar Rapids man charged with bashing brother in head with cigarette roller

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids man was charged Tuesday for assaulting his brother and repeatedly striking his head with a cigarette roller machine, causing “significant” blood loss that left a blood trail as he tried to make his way to the Linn County Jail before losing consciousness.

Randy Eugene Kay, 57, is charged with willful injury resulting in serious injury, a felony, and two charges of domestic abuse assault with a dangerous weapon, aggravated misdemeanors.

Randy Kay repeatedly struck his brother, Charles Kay, who is his roommate, in the head with a cigarette roller on Feb. 17, according to the criminal complaint. The blows to the head caused several bleeding lacerations. The amount of blood loss was “so significant” that Charles Kay lost consciousness multiple times.

The assault stemmed from an earlier fight the brothers had while working on a house together in the 100 block of 24th Avenue SW, according to a complaint charging Charles Kay, 58, with domestic abuse assault, a serious misdemeanor. Charles Kay is accused of stabbing Randy in the abdomen with a box cutter.

First Assistant Linn County Attorney Monica Slaughter said the brothers then got into a vehicle. Charles was going to drive Randy to the jail because he had an outstanding warrant. During the car ride, Randy started striking his brother with a cigarette roller.

Randy Kay got out of the car in front of the Linn County Courthouse and made his way down the east side of the building to the front doors of the jail, where he lost consciousness and deputies found him, Slaughter said.

A judge asked about the blood trail during a break in a trial Feb. 17 and a deputy said there was an assault that happened earlier that day or the night before. The blood was covered with sand but was visible from the front of the courthouse all the way to the entrance of the jail.

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