Man accused of spraying 2 strangers with burning liquid near Bear Creek Trail parking lot

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man was charged in Boone County on Wednesday after he allegedly sprayed two strangers with liquid on Tuesday near the parking lot at Bear Creek Trail.

Maxon Castle, 22, was charged with two counts of second-degree assault. A court date has not been set. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond.

According to the probable cause statement, two people were hit with a stream of liquid by Castle. They did not know or provoke him to do so, the statement says. Police spoke with both people at the VA Hospital and saw them with several red blotches and skin irritations all around their bodies. The Columbia Police Department later wrote in a press release that the two victims were women.

The victims allegedly said that their skin began burning about 10-15 minutes after they were sprayed, the statement says. The burning started up again after they each tried to shower, the statement says. The type of liquid and its contents were not identified in court documents. Police referred to the liquid as "caustic" in a press release.

Castle was also charged last year in Miller County with two counts of unlawful use of a weapon. A hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 7.