Man charged for spraying two strangers with caustic liquid makes initial court appearance
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The man charged Wednesday for allegedly spraying two strangers with a caustic liquid near the parking lot at Bear Creek Trail made his initial court appearance Thursday.
Maxon Castle, 22, has been charged in Boone County with two counts of second-degree assault in connection with the Tuesday incident in the trail parking lot.
A bond hearing was set for March 18 and a preliminary hearing was set for April 10. Castle was awaiting a psychological screening in a gun case out of Miller County when he allegedly attacked the victims in the parking lot Tuesday.
Castle was charged with two counts of unlawful use of a weapon in June 2024 for an incident in Miller County, according to court documents. Castle allegedly waved and pointed a loaded semiautomatic handgun at multiple people outside an apartment.
Witnesses and victims told law enforcement on the scene that they confronted Castle, who continued to point the handgun. They eventually restrained him and took the handgun, court documents say.
Court documents say Castle told Osage Beach police officers he took antipsychotics and drank alcohol. He also admitted he owned a gun.
He posted a $20,000 bond in August, court documents say.
Former Cole County Prosecutor Bill Tackett said a judge approving a bond comes down to several factors.
"You have to weigh that as a judge, what are the chances of it happening again and are you a flight risk," Tackett said.
A mental health evaluation was ordered for Castle in November 2024, but a judge approved a request to extend it in February, according to court documents.
According to the probable cause statement for Wednesday's charges, two women 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 women at the Truman Memorial VA Hospital and saw them with several red blotches and skin irritation on their bodies.
The victims 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.
Valertie Berta said she frequents the Bear Creek Trail almost everyday day but the incident does not make her worried.
"There is going to be crazy people doing crazy stuff, I feel safe, I feel fine," Berta said.
Alissa Ahern went to the Bear Creek Trail for the first time on Thursday, but after learning about the incident she says she is unsure if she will return.
"Now that it's hotter out, I might be wearing clothing that won't fully protect me if somebody came up and did spray me. So, I don't think I would be coming back," Ahern said.
Castle is being held in the Boone County Jail without bond.
