WILLOUGHBY -- A Willoughby man is accused of repeatedly striking a Willoughby woman's head with a baseball bat late Tuesday afternoon.

She was taken by LifeFlight to MetroHealth Medical Center from LakeWest Hospital with serious head injuries.

Just before 5 p.m. Tuesday, police responded to the LakeWest Hospital emergency room for a report of a female assault victim.

It was there that officers learned from the 23-year-old Willoughby woman that she had been struck in the head several times with a baseball bat by a man she identified as Thomas Barker, 24.

She said she had gone to visit Barker's mother at her home in the 1100 block of South Beachview Road and said Barker answered the door acting strangely.

She went inside and Barker went upstairs and returned with a baseball bat. She said Barker began assaulting her without provocation.

She ran from the home and the assault continued outside of the home until a Good Samaritan stopped and offered assistance to the woman.

The Good Samaritan drove the victim to the hospital.

Police went to Barker's South Beachview Road home and took him into custody without incident.

Police discovered what they believe to be the baseball bat used in the assault and the victim's purse, charred in a backyard burn pit.

A credit card belonging to the victim was located inside the house.

Barker was charged with aggravated robbery, felonious assault and two counts of tampering with evidence, all felonies.

His bond was set at $100,000 cash or surety. He has a preliminary hearing in Willoughby Municipal Court set for 1 p.m. May 3. 

WKYC-TV