A 35-year-old man accused of attempting to murder his wife by shooting her in the head Friday night, then leading police on a high-speed chase through Oxford and Metamora townships is sitting in jail now.
Jay Kristopher Bartoy was arraigned in Rochester Hills 52-3 District Court Monday on felony charges of assault with intent to murder, third-degree fleeing and eluding police, possession of a concealed weapon without permit and using a firearm during the commission of a felony.
If convicted, the former Oxford resident now living in White Lake Township, faces the possibility of life in prison on the attempted murder charge alone.
He was also charged with drunken driving, a misdemeanor.
Bartoy’s currently being held in the Oakland County Jail without bond and was ordered by District Judge Julie A. Nicholson to have no contact with the victim, the couple’s children or any family members.
His next court date at the 52-3 is a preliminary exam conference set for 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 6 before Nicholson.
Bartoy’s wife, a 36-year-old Oxford woman whose name is not being released, was reported to be in serious condition, but expected to recover. She lost her right eye as a result of the shooting.
‘She’s doing well,? according to Sheriff’s Lt. Larry Perry, commander of the Oxford Twp. substation. ‘From what we understand, she should be home in the next few days.?
According to sheriff’s investigators, Bartoy had been arguing with his wife around 11:23 p.m. Friday, when he allegedly shot her in the face with a handgun at her residence in the 2200 block of Drahner Rd.
The victim and her husband are in the process of getting a divorce and were not living together.
Despite her severe wound, the victim managed to flee the scene under her own power with her 14-year-old son, who heard the argument and subsequent gunshot. The two sought refuge at a neighbor’s house in the 1100 block of Clearview.
The couple’s other two children, a boy and a girl, were staying overnight at a friend’s house. The children are now staying with relatives.
It was from the Clearview home that sheriff’s deputies and emergency medical personnel were called.
When police arrived, the victim was coherent and identified Bartoy as the shooter, according to Perry.
Deputies found Bartoy leaving the area near the scene of the shooting in his older model GMC Yukon.
A traffic stop was attempted, but, according to police, Bartoy allegedly fled north on M-24 at ‘excessive speeds? through Oxford and into Lapeer County’s Metamora Township with sheriff’s patrol units in pursuit
Officers from the Metamora Twp. Police, Lapeer County Sheriff’s Department and Michigan State Police aided in the pursuit. ‘They did a great job,? Perry said.
Ultimately, the chase ended when Bartoy’s vehicle rolled over on M-24, north of Pratt Rd. He was taken into custody and transported by ambulance to a Flint area hospital. A Preliminary Breath Test was administered on Bartoy, but Perry said he could not release the results at this time.
Two handguns were recovered from the vehicle, according to Perry, however the semiautomatic handgun believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered at the victim’s home. The caliber of the handguns recovered is not being released at this time.
Bartoy has no prior criminal history and sheriff’s deputies had no previous contact with either the victim or the suspect. There are no reports of deputies making any service calls to the couple’s Oxford home.