West Virginia State Senate Candidate Physically Assaulted at Cookout

A state senate candidate in West Virginia suffered several bone fractures and lacerations after being physically attacked at a cookout over the weekend.
West Virginia State Senate Candidate Physically Assaulted at Cookout
Jonathan Zhou
5/9/2016
Updated:
5/9/2016

A state senate candidate in West Virginia suffered several bone fractures and lacerations after being physically attacked at a cookout over the weekend. 

Richard Ojeda was attending a political cookout when a man lured him out by asking him to apply a bumper sticker on his car. When Ojeda was down applying the sticker, he was struck by an unknown object. 

The man kept hitting Ojeda until a neighbor noticed and ran over. 

A suspect named Jonathan Porter has been held in connection with this attack. 

Ojeda is scheduled to have surgery soon, but wants to leave the hospital as soon as possible to resume campaigning, the Herald Dispatch reports. 

The attacker tried to back up with his truck and escape, but was blocked by the neighbor. He was arrested and put in Southwestern Regional Jail. 

Ojeda is running against incumbent Art Kirkendoll, in a district that covers Boone, Lincoln, and Logan counties and parts of Mingo and Wayne.