Not getting along with your neighbors is a struggle that many, many people face at one point or another in life, and it can cause enormous tensions between households. You know what we’re talking about right? That guy you hated living next door to in college because he thought it was acceptable to throw “impromptu” parties on Tuesday nights that lasted well into the wee hours, and you had an 8 am class on Wednesdays. Yeah, that guy.
But, while a good deal of people face this challenge sometime or another, the worst that happens is usually a few boots banged on the walls if you live in an apartment, or a few heated exchanges. Occasionally the police get called if the noise level gets out of hand. But it rarely results in anything as serious as criminal charges. But for one Bay City man, this was not the case…
Dispute between neighbors who weren’t able to settle their differences
Bay City Police recently responded to a call about an assault and a home invasion in progress, which ended up being a dispute between two neighbors who weren’t able to settle their differences over the issues of heat and noise.
Apparently 30-year-old Jason L. Whitehead, who had a key to his neighbor’s apartment, arrived at Stephen Noykos’ door to request that they turn up the heat. However, this interaction quickly devolved into a name-calling spree, at which time Whitehead let himself into Noykos’ apartment and the two became involved in a fist fight.
After the first few blows, Noykos’ housemate Kara McLean attempted to get between the two men. She apparently hit Whitehead and he admits to hitting her back. She claims that he grabbed her by the neck and she was only able to get him to let go by biting him.
At this point Whitehead’s girlfriend came over from next door and attempted to get him to leave. Noykos then threw a knife at them and, in response to this, Whitehead then pulled out his pocket knife and brandished it before finally going back to him home next door.
Whitehead was arrested at the scene and later arraigned on a single count of first-degree home invasion, which under Michigan law is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. He was granted a $10,000 cash-surety bail, which he has since posted. His preliminary exam took place on March 10th in the Bay County District Court before Judge Timothy J. Kelly.