Austin Man Charged in Alleged Hatchet Attack at Hutto Home Depot

Austin resident John Doyle Bauer has been charged with aggravated assault after allegedly attacking an elderly man with a hatchet at the Hutto Home Depot on Friday, August 18.

According to police, officers responded to the store around 5 p.m. after reports of an aggravated assault in progress. The victim, a 79-year-old man, had sustained critical but non-life-threatening injuries and was treated by emergency personnel before being taken to a hospital.

Police located Bauer near the intersection of County Road 119 and Chandler Road, about 3.5 miles north of the store, with help from the Williamson County Sheriff's Office. Investigators found no known association between Bauer and the victim, suggesting the attack may have been unprovoked and random.