Elberta man upset with police decision

ELBERTA, Ala. - Ronald Miller described the scene he found at this Elberat home this weekend. He said, "When he pulled his foot out that's when it split. He made this trail through here. I think this is where he realized he was cut."

When Ronald Miller came home Saturday evening and found glass and blood on his carport he called 911.

"I showed him the blood, and I said Brandon, I said there's a lot of blood here, whoever did this they had to go to the hospital. He said you're right." Miller said.

At first it looked like vandalism and an attempted break-in, but within just a few hours Miller was facing something else.

"Today, when I left the Elberta Police department they said they was going to charge it as a hate crime, and I mean that's just what it is." Miller said.

Millers said the same 17-year-old suspect who cut his leg at the home earlier came back with seven other men in four vehicles. When Miller tried to get the intruders to leave he says they attacked him.

The beating left Miller with a black eye, and a cut on the ear that required more than 40 stitches.

"I hear my kids screaming and hollering. And my buddy Justin, they had him down in the yard at knife point." he said.

Police were called again. When they heard sirens some of the men left, but Miller said he closed his gate preventing two vehicles from getting out.

But, Miller said he's still puzzled and upset by what happened after the officers returned.

"Nobody got arrested, or nothing. At this point they haven't done anything." he said.

Miller said his only explanation as to why he was beaten in his own yard, is just has disturbing as the attack itself.

"They say they saw a black guy turn into their driveway and they thought that I was going to come back an rob them." he said.

Miller said he took his complaint to the mayor. Mayor Marvin Williams told us neither police, nor the city is commenting on the incident.

"In a town the size of Elberta, if we have a crime that warrants a felony we turn it over to the county."

In the meantime, Miller said he's worried about what could happen if something isn't done soon.

A spokesman for the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office said the department did assist on the initial call, but has 'not' been asked to take over the investigation.