A UC Santa Barbara student was in custody Saturday after allegedly assaulting and seriously injuring a well-known local pastor in his Isla Vista home.
Father Jon-Stephen Hedges, assistant pastor at St. Athanasius Orthodox Church, was taken to the hospital after the attack, which occurred at about 2:15 a.m. at his residence in the 6800 block of Fortuna Road, according to Kelly Hoover, a spokeswoman with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.
“The student came to the door asking for help, then pushed his way in and began beating Dad (the kid was probably in a drug-induced rage.),” wrote Sarah Keller Brasel, Hedges’ daughter, in a Facebook posting. “Dad was taken by ambulance to the ER, and is now home resting with a concussion, battered and bruised.”
Hedges’ wife, Melissa, called 9-1-1 to report the assault, Brassel wrote.
Paul Gusman, 22, was found by sheriff’s deputies standing in the front yard of Hedges’ home, Hoover said.
“He appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance(s) and possibly intoxicated,” she said. “He was arrested and treated at a local hospital for an injury to his hand that he sustained during the attack.”
Hoover described the sequence of the incident.
“Father Jon-Stephen Hedges (affectionately known as Father Jon) heard someone knock at his front door and a male voice yelling for help,” she said.
“Gusman began throwing his body against the front door of Father Jon’s house. Fearing that someone was in desperate and need of help, Father Jon opened the door to provide assistance.”
Gusman, who was naked from the waist down, then forced his way into the residence and repeatedly punched Father Jon in the face, Hoover said.
She said Hedges allegedly was hit more than 30 times in the face, and his wife was struck on her right hand.
“Despite the traumatic nature of the event, she managed to call 9-1-1 for help,” Hoover added.
Gusman was booked into County Jail on charges of assault upon a person with force likely to produce great bodily injury, residential burglary, elder abuse and dissuading a witness/victim, Hoover said.
He was being held in lieu $500,000 bail, and was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday, she said.
“The assault is under investigation, but preliminary indications are that it was a random attack and that the suspect is not acquainted with Father Jon,” Hoover said.
Hedges serves as a volunteer chaplain with the Sheriff’s Department, the Isla Vista Foot Patrol and several other agencies, and is also campus and community pastor for UCSB and the Isla Vista community.
He has collaborated and consulted with several Santa Barbara County agencies on crisis, trauma and disaster issues.
In his own comment on Facebook, Hedges thanked his well-wishers and said, “From this, let us take increased devotion to transforming the culture of Isla Vista to one that complements the aspirations of UCSB.”
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.