Man jailed in ax-handle horse attack

FRUITPORT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) - A 68-year-old man faces multiple charges after a Labor Day incident in which he allegedly beat a horse with an ax handle and threatened to kill a man who tried to stop him.

Albert Cejmer faces two misdemeanors for assault and animal cruelty and a felony gun charge.

His ex-girlfriend, Julie Stone, told 24 Hour News 8 he stopped by for a visit on Monday when everything escalated.

Stone said Cejmer has a history of drunkenness and violence. "He definitely had the intent to kill someone," she said. "He was going to show us his idea of disciplining (her horse, Bella) and he went to get an ax handle and hit the horse."

Stone's friend, Richard Ashburn, stepped in when he saw the animal abuse. He took the ax handle from Cejmer, "and he says, 'Give me that ax handle back!' and I say, 'No, you're not getting it,' and then he hauled off and hit me in the side of the face."

He said Cejmer then threatened to kill him.

"I backed up and he tried to hit me several times," Ashburn said. "He couldn't and says, 'Well, I'll show you. I'm going to go in and get a gun and shoot you.'"

Ashburn said he walked away. "Julie witnessed at that time Al pulled a butcher knife out and was coming up behind me and was going to stab me."

Police were called and arrested Cejmer.

Stone said she and Cejmer lived at this location together on and off over the years, but the relationship was violent.

"He's hit me in the head with frying pans, bowls.  He's kicked me, he's hit me with baseball bats," she said.

Despite personal protection orders in 2007 and 2010 she kept letting Cejmer back into her life. She took out another PPO after the Labor Day incident.

But this time, she said, it's over, and urged other women to break the cycle before it's too late.

"If other women are scared, they need to come forth and get out of that situation," Stone said. "I know how bad it is."

Police later confiscated a number of guns from Cejmer's home.

The felony gun charge he faces is because he is already a convicted felon. He's also being charged as a habitual offender. In July 1998 he was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and in 2003 he was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

He's being held on a $25,000 bond.

The horse was not hurt.