A 44-year-old Kentucky man faces two counts of attempted murder after allegedly attacking his downstairs neighbors with a baseball bat — all because they turned off their own Wi-Fi connection, which he had been using without paying for it, authorities say.
Jonathan Gross was arrested Sunday morning and is currently held at the Pulaski County Detention Center on a $1 million cash bond.
Deputies arrived to find a woman outside the home bleeding from her head. The caller had already fled the residence to contact authorities.
According to the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded at 5:43 a.m. Sunday to a report of a physical assault on Waddle Street in Ferguson. The male caller told dispatchers that Gross — who lived upstairs in the same building — had attacked him and his girlfriend with a baseball bat.
A probable cause affidavit reveals what reportedly set Gross off: when the couple disconnected their own Wi-Fi router — a connection that Gross had been piggybacking — he came downstairs, entered their apartment, and threatened to kill them both if the internet was not restored by the time he returned to his room.
A short while later, police say, he made good on that threat and attacked the couple with a bat.
When deputies arrived, the female victim was found seated outside, bleeding from a head wound. Gross had retreated to a bedroom inside the residence and refused multiple requests to exit. Deputies made forcible entry and took him into custody.
Charges filed
- Two counts of attempted murder
- Two counts of third-degree terroristic threatening
- Second-degree disorderly conduct
- Alcohol intoxication in a public place
Gross appeared in court Monday for his arraignment. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 13.
