Police say a Cedar Rapids woman is hospitalized with serious injuries while a neighbor in her apartment house is jailed on a charge of attempted murder. Officers were sent to check on 68-year-old Doris Bevins at 11:15 Sunday night.
Cedar Rapids Police Sergeant Cristy Hamblin says the 911 call was placed by a friend who was talking to Bevins on the phone.
“Doris was on the phone when somebody knocked at her door. She set the phone down to answer the door and her friend heard Doris scream, so they hung up and called 911,” Hamblin said.
Responding officers found Bevins on the floor of her apartment suffering from life threatening injuries. A man who was in the apartment, 48-year-old Jerome Power, was arrested and charged with attempted murder. Hamblin says Power lives in the same apartment house but it’s not clear what prompted the altercation.
“At this time, we’re still looking into how they knew each other, why did he target her and what was the intent,” Hamblin said. Police are not saying if a weapon was involved in the attack. Bevins was taken to a hospital. There’s no word on her condition. In addition to attempted murder, Power was charged with third-degree theft.
Hamblin says the theft charge stems from an incident in June when Power allegedly stole a book bag at Kirkwood Community College.