Ladson Man Charged with Attempted Murder

Goose Creek Police have charged a Ladson man with attempted murder, alleging that he used a sledgehammer to bash in the face and head of a Pandora Drive resident.

Ricardo Perez-Flores, 32, of 615 Rainey Drive, was arrested early Sunday morning, soon after police responded to a call regarding an assault. Bond was set Monday afternoon at $75,000.

At 2:02 on Sunday morning, an officer arrived at 113 Pandora Drive in the Greenview subdivision and was met by three witnesses, one of them frantically yelling, “He is on the ground behind the truck.”

According to the officer, the victim, 28-year-old Arael De Leon Lopez, appeared to have severe injuries on his face and head. His right eyeball had reportedly been dislodged from its socket.

The police report notes that Lopez was transported to the Medical University of South Carolina and medical staff told Goose Creek Police that every bone in the victim’s face and head was broken, according to the incident report. Goose Creek Police Capt. John Grainger said early Tuesday that the last report he received was that the victim's condition was serious, but he was expected to survive.

Witnesses told police that Lopez arrived at the house shortly after midnight with Perez-Flores. Lopez had allegedly met the man at a Red Bank Road gas station and asked Perez-Flores if he wanted to come back to the house to drink beer.

The two men were left out in the driveway until a witness claimed she heard banging sounds and walked to the front door, allegedly seeing the suspect flee the scene and Lopez lying on the ground.

Not far down the road, another Goose Creek officer stopped Perez-Flores’ van because of the man’s erratic driving. The officer had heard the call regarding a possible assault and noticed the driver had blood splattered on his clothes and face. The two officers verified that Perez-Flores matched the description of the suspect and took him into custody.

Officers also found the sledgehammer in the van with what appeared to be blood stains on it. Perez-Flores claimed he was defending himself. The suspect alleged that he’d been knocked out by the victim and, when he came to, the victim was standing over him with an unknown weapon.