Man charged with attempted murder following hammer attack in Iowa City

IOWA CITY - One man is facing an attempted murder charge after an assault involving a hammer, according to Iowa City Police.

Police were called to the Iowa City Pedestrian Mall, near the intersection of Dubuque & Washington Streets, at about 5:50 a.m. Sunday for a report of a fight.

When police arrived, they found a man with a hammer in his hand and another man a few feet away bleeding profusely. Officers ordered the male with the hammer to the ground and took him into custody.

According to police, Richard John Hoyt, 61, approached the victim while he was sleeping on a bench and started hitting him in the head repeatedly with the hammer. Hoyt told police he assaulted the victim because he thought he was a person he had an altercation with previously, but then admitted that after the assault, he realized he had the wrong guy.

The victim was transported to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for treatment of his injuries, which are believed to be non-life threatening.

Hoyt was charged with Attempted Murder, a Class B Felony, and placed in the Johnson County Jail. This case remains under investigation and additional charges are possible.