OPELOUSAS, La (KLFY) — An Opelousas man was arrested on attempted second-degree murder charges after he allegedly beat a man with a bat in a ditch on the side of Hwy 167, according to the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Leon Cassimere, 53, of Opelousas, was arrested on Monday, July 26 on attempted second-degree murder and booked into the St. Landry Parish Jail. His bond is set at $75,000.

On July 26, deputies were dispatched to the intersection of Hwy 167 and Lilac Rd. in reference to a man swinging a bat at something in the ditch.

A witness saw a man crawling out of the ditch, covered in blood. The suspect then fled the scene in a black Jeep. A witness was able to take a photo of the back of the Jeep and the license plate before losing sight of it.

Further investigation helped deputies determine that the victim was walking eastbound on Hwy 167 when a Jeep stopped on the side of the road and Cassimere exited the vehicle with an aluminum baseball bat, yelling, “I’m going to kill you!” at the man walking.

Cassimere then allegedly began beating the man with the bat until the man fell in the ditch.

When questioned by deputies, Cassimere admitted to being involved in the altercation with the victim, and he said that the victim had previously stolen items from Cassimere’s property and Cassimere decided to handle the situation himself.