LAKE HAVASU CITY – A two-month jail term has been ordered for a Lake Havasu City man who beat up, and seriously injured, a teenager last summer. The 60-day jail sentence ordered March 2 for Nathan Upton was mandated in a plea agreement convicting him of aggravated assault.
Upton, 24, offered apology during the sentencing hearing at the Mohave County Law and Justice Center in Kingman.
Deputy Mohave County Attorney Matthew Houston said Upton intended to defend his younger cousin, who was expected to be involved in “a high school fight” in the 300 block of Beachcomber Boulevard last Aug. 22.
Upton reportedly struck a 16-year-old male from behind, knocking to the ground the dazed victim who was unable to defend himself while the pummeling continued.
The teenager was bruised about his body and he required staples to close a gash on his head.
Family members said they were shocked by the violence.
“We were devastated,” the victim’s grandmother told Judge Billy Sipe. “It has shaken our entire family to the core.”
“We’ve had many sleepless nights, concerned about his health and safety,” the victim’s mother said of her son.
Judge Sipe ordered that Upton shall serve probation for three years following his jail sentence.
Dave Hawkins
