HOFFMAN — A man with several prior assault convictions is accused of hitting his wife and locking her in a closet.
According to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to a home for a reported domestic disturbance on McCoy Drive in Hoffman on Monday, Dec. 11.
The female victim, who was next door at that time, reportedly told the first deputy on scene that her husband was intoxicated, started to argue with her and hit her several times in the face.
Investigators say the woman also told the deputy that her husband had locked her in a closet, wouldn’t let her leave and continued to assault her.
The woman was reportedly able to get to a handgun and the two allegedly wrestled over the gun.
Deputies reportedly went over to the home to speake with 46-year-old Sheldon Maurice Nealy. When Nealy came to the door, deputies reportedly noticed blood on his leg from an apparent gunshot wound on his thigh.
EMS was contacted and responded to the scene and Nealy was taken to a local hospital for treatment, according to the sheriff’s office.
When he was released from the hospital, investigators say Nealy was taken to the Richmond County Magistrate’s Office and charged with a felony count of second-degree kidnapping and one misdemeanor count each of assault on a female and interfering with emergency communications.
Nealy was initially held without bond since it is a domestic violence case, however it appears he has since been given a bond and released. He is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 21.
Records with the N.C. Department of Adult Correction show Nealy was most recently convicted in 2010 of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury. He was released from prison in September 2022 and his parole ended June 9.
Nealy was first convicted in 1994 on a misdemeanor count of damage to property and a felony count of possession with intent to sell a Schedule II controlled substance. Prior to the felony conviction, Nealy served about nine weeks behind bars on the misdemeanor conviction.
His probation on both convictions was revoked in 1995 and he served consecutives sentences, serving a total of three years and one month.
Records show Nealy has also been convicted of: resisting a public officer (1997); possession with intent to sell a Schedule II controlled substance and assault inflicting serious injury (1998); and four counts of driving while license revoked.
All prior convictions were in Moore County.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
