WEST YELLOWSTONE — A West Yellowstone man appeared in Gallatin County Justice Court on Tuesday to face a felony assault with a weapon charge after he struck a woman with a baseball bat he had modified into a weapon by screwing in lag bolts and screws.
Michael James Costanzo, 43, was ordered in court to wear a GPS monitor and faces a $15,000 bail.
According to charging documents, on Monday, Jan. 27, 2020 just before noon, West Yellowstone 911 was notified that there was a fight involving a baseball bat with screws in it. A West Yellowstone Police Officer observed Costanzo walking from the scene.
During the investigation, law enforcement learned that Costanzo had confronted two women at 2 am with the weapon and again approximately 2 hours later, when he struck one of the women in the hand, after she attempted to block his swing.
The woman had a swollen thumb, four ballpoint sized punctures on her palm and a broken and bloody thumbnail.
Court documents show that Costanzo has an extensive multi-state misdemeanor criminal history with multiple arrests and convictions for possession of dangerous drugs, forgery, theft, obstruction of law enforcement and failure to appear.
He was ordered to stay 1,500 feet from the victim or any building she is in, nor be in any contact with either woman.
Costanzo’s next court appearance is set for Feb. 14, 2020.
