Man in Critical Condition After Hammer Blow to His Face

Update 3 p.m. Tuesday: Hendee is being held on $30,000 bail pending arraignment Thursday afternoon -- City News Service.

Update 6:30 a.m. Tuesday: The suspect, 19-year-old Tanner Hendee, has been booked into jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. According to Sgt. Dan Vengler of Ramona substation, witnesses said they had observed Hendee punching and kicking the unconscious man in the head and face.

The victim sustained a one-inch head laceration, a right orbital fracture and a possible spinal fracture. The injuries do not appear to be life threatening, Vengler stated in a news release.

A man in Ramona who was hit in the face with a hammer was transported to hospital in critical condition Monday night, according to the Sheriff's Department.

No identification of the man was available as of 10:30 p.m. A suspect was taken into custody late Monday. No further details were readily available.

A passerby saw the man lying on his back in an abandoned house at 105 11th Street at about 5:28 p.m., according to sheriff's spokesmen. The man was taken to a local hospital via air ambulance because the cause and extent of his medical condition could not be determined. He was still unconscious as of 10:30 p.m. Monday, so no information could be gained about what happened, a sheriff's spokesman told Patch.