Police say Bellingham man severely beat his grandmother with a stick

BELLINGHAM – A 24-year-old Bellingham man was arrested after his grandmother said he beat her with a two-foot-long stick, breaking her cheekbone, finger and rib and destroying her hearing aid in the process.

Collin Cofield was charged with first-degree domestic violence and his 87-year-old grandmother is in the hospital after the incident at the Lakeway Mobile Estates in Bellingham.

Police said Cofield had a pattern of poor behavior in his grandma’s home, and was only allowed to visit her if he agreed to leave whenever she thought he was acting unruly.

On Tuesday, police say, Cofield’s grandmother asked him to leave after he began getting loud and out of control, but he got angry and attacked her with a 25-inch-long dowel that was about 1.5 inches thick – similar to a tool handle.

Police said the beating was severe, and that Cofield demanded money while he was hitting her. When he was done, she says he ran away and she made it to a neighbhor’s home for help.

Police found Cofield under a bridge at Roeder and Central St. about five hours later.