The man accused of maiming a stranger during a road-rage attack in Winooski will remain behind bars while his case is pending.
During a bail hearing on Friday, court-appointed attorneys for Aaron Williams, 44, chose not to challenge the state’s request that he remain incarcerated without bail. Williams faces up to life in prison for what authorities described as a brutal assault in which he repeatedly punched another driver, a man in his mid-forties, and gouged his eyes.
The victim was driving home from work last month when a driver began tailgating him on Malletts Bay Avenue, according to court records. The victim told investigators that he sped up to prevent the driver from getting by, but the man passed him and then hit his brakes. Both drivers stopped and got out of their vehicles.
The assailant walked over and punched the victim in the face, then drove his thumbs into the man’s eyes, causing intense pain, court records allege. The man then threw the victim to the ground, punched him several times more, and again pressed his fingers into the victim’s eye sockets. He then returned to his car and drove off, police said.
The victim’s dash camera caught some of what happened, including the assailant’s license plate, which led police to Williams, according to court records.
The Chittenden County State’s Attorney’s Office was prepared on Friday to present information that the evidence against Williams was strong enough to warrant his ongoing detention. Because the defense elected not to contest the state’s demand, the evidence was not presented in open court.
The victim appeared in court alongside more than a dozen family members and supporters. His eyes were not bandaged, and he appeared to watch the proceedings.
Williams, shackled in green prison garb, made silent gestures of appreciation to others who sat in the gallery on the defense side of the courtroom.
He faces felony counts of aggravated assault and maiming. Williams pleaded not guilty on Friday to an additional charge of leaving the scene of an accident.
The victim, whom Seven Days is not naming, did not speak to reporters after the hearing.
The case is due back in court in late October.