By David Fleet

Editor

On Oct. 21 Genesee County Sheriff Department announced that a Clarkston man was charged following an Oct. 7 attack on a woman on the cross country trail located behind Oaktree Elementary School, 7500 Gale Road in Atlas Township.

He was also charged in an attack on a woman jogging at Abernathy Park in Davison on Sept. 30. Charles Gamble II, 40 was charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and assault and battery. He is currently lodged in the Genesee County Jail on $3 million bond

“The defendant, Charles Gamble, put fear into the hearts and minds of our community,” said Robert Pickell, Genesee County Sheriff, during a press conference following the arrest on Friday.

Gamble allegedly came out from behind a tree and attacked a 36-year old woman. The victim’s 7-year old son, who was running behind his mother, began screaming at the alleged assailant, who fled the scene. The woman’s 11-year-old daughter was also nearby, but was unharmed.

“He brutally beat her about the face causing a facial fracture, which required surgery,” said Pickell regarding the woman in the Atlas Township assault. “This victim was very courageous. She fought him back. She fought him off attempting to fight him by kicking and slapping. I might add that he assaulted his first victim in Davison, where he beat her on her face three-four times knocking her into unconsciousness.”

Sheriff investigators believe the assailant cased the area near the Goodrich Middle School the night before. Security footage from the Goodrich Middle School caught the suspect leaving the area in a black Chevrolet Tahoe SUV with oversized, chrome, after-market rims and a carrier rack.

Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell said that on Oct. 12 deputies pulled over a vehicle matching the description of the SUV on M-15 near Horton Road in Atlas Township. Gamble was held for questioning and his SUV was searched by investigators. He was released about 3:30 a.m , but his SUV was retained and a warrant was obtained by the Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office.

Investigators found Gamble changed the rims of the vehicle a day after the attack in Atlas Township. The chrome rims were found in garbage bags in Gamble’s garage. Cell phone records also showed he was near the scene of both attacks around the time of the assaults.

“I might add also that through our investigation we learned that Gamble in 1991 committed a similar crime on his wife whereby he fractured her eye socket after choking her unconscious,” said Pickell.

“We also learned from our investigation, the defendant is under psychiatric care where he is being treated for rage and impulsive behavior. Gamble is a violent man who preyed on innocent and vulnerable women and children and used our trails and parks that were for families to enjoy and build memories and he tried to take that away from our community, but failed.”