Friday, Sept. 13 didn’t start too well for a man who ended up in Riverside Medical Center after what he claimed was a beating by his girlfriend, her father and brother and a neighbor, according to the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office.

After an investigation into the complaint, Mary A. Stogner, 44, (also known as Mary Delong Voth), Ruben Stogner, 73, Ruben Earl Stogner, 24, and Larry Duncan, 26, were arrested and each charged with aggravated second-degree battery. If convicted of that charge, each faces the possibility of being fined up to $2,000 and/or imprisoned for up to five years.

Deputy Jonathan Williams, who responded to the call from Riverside, reported that the victim had observable injuries including two black eyes, a bloody nose, lacerations and abrasions.

In his report Williams said the victim claimed he was recovering from injuries received in an automobile accident, was partially immobilized and was taking prescription medication for pain when his girlfriend, Mary Delong, asked for some of the pain pills and became irate and slapped him repeatedly in the face when he refused.

The victim said he retreated to his bedroom and attempted to lie down, but his girlfriend continued to beat him. She ultimately went to her father’s residence and returned with her father, her brother and a neighbor, all of whom began to beat him, stomp on his legs and feet, and hit him on the face and head with a flashlight, he said.

According to the report, the victim said he asked his attackers to call an ambulance or to take him to the hospital when the beating stopped, but they refused. Later in the day he was able to call a friend who transported him to the hospital for treatment, and when hospital personnel observed his injuries, they contacted authorities.

After talking with the victim and investigating his claims, Williams obtained arrest warrants for the Stogners and Duncan. It was discovered that Mary Stogner additionally had outstanding warrants for failure to honor a written promise and two counts of misdemeanor failure to appear.

Sheriff Randy Seal commended Williams for his quick investigation and the resultant arrests.

“In this matter the equation is simple,” he said. “The victim had a legitimate prescription for pain medication. His girlfriend wanted the medication for her own gratification. The victim refused to give it to her and suffered a severe beating as a result of his refusal.

“Once again, I want to remind the criminal element in our parish that we will not tolerate incidents such as this. If you commit a crime against the good citizens of our parish, we will pursue you, arrest you and put you in jail. Our jail stays full most of the time, but there is always room for one more.”