Man charged with aggravated assault

BONNERS FERRY — A Boundary County man has been charged with felony aggravated assault after police say he entered a Bonners Ferry home on June 22 and attempted to attack one of the family members with an ax.

According to the police report, the wife of the victim told authorities that Andrew Beggerly entered the house with an ax concealed under his blanket just before midnight on June 22. He then allegedly approached the sleeping victim and said, “I came to do God’s work.”

The victim awoke as Beggerly raised the ax toward him in a threatening manner, said the police report. The victim’s wife grabbed the ax to keep the victim from being stuck, then she and the victim fought to remove the ax from Beggerly.

According to the police report, the victim’s wife took the ax outside and returned to find the victim on the bed, with Beggerly on top of him and strangling him with both hands. The victim’s wife tried to push or pull him off, then threw water on Beggerly in an attempt to distract him, said the police report. When that failed, she struck at him with a coffee pot, possibly striking him in the head.

When this did not stop Beggerly from choking the victim, the victim’s wife then yelled for their son who was sleeping in a car outside, said the police report. The victim’s son came in and allegedly proceeded to hit Beggerly until he released the victim.

At that time, according to the police report, the victim’s son noticed that the victim was not breathing, but still had a pulse. The victim’s son was able to resuscitate him and the victim was later checked and released by Boundary County Ambulance, said the police report.

Beggerly’s bond is set at $10,000. A preliminary hearing on the felony charge is pending.