Golf-club assailant heads to boot camp

A Kalispell man who pleaded guilty to felony assault with a weapon for the July 4, 2013, road-rage beating of another man has been sentenced to boot camp. 

Andrew Taylor Nelson, 20, received a five-year deferred sentence and was ordered to enroll and participate in a boot camp program. He also has to pay more than $9,000 in restitution to the victim. 

According to court documents, on July 4, 2013, Nelson beat Antonio Valencia with a golf club until it broke during an altercation at the Ferndale Market. 

Valencia had been driving home to Ferndale when he was tailgated by a green Subaru, which was joined by another vehicle after some road rage between Valencia and the Subaru’s occupants. 

Nelson was accompanied by Gaige Christopher Mower of Somers and Ryan Horn of Kalispell. 

Valencia said he pulled into the market because he was afraid and he knew there would be other people there. 

As soon as Valencia got out of his vehicle, he was approached by Nelson, Mower, and Horn as well as a fourth person from the second vehicle. 

The three men attacked Valencia immediately. 

Nelson exited the Subaru with the golf club in his hand, and struck Valencia with it multiple times until the club broke.  

Valencia broke a vertebra in his neck during the assault, which was captured on cellphone video as well as market surveillance video. 

Mower was found guilty of misdemeanor assault but acquitted of felony criminal endangerment in an April trial. He was sentenced July 3 to six months in jail with all but three days suspended, pay $2,000 in restitution and 50 hours of community service. 

Horn pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor assault for shoving Valencia down to get him out of the way of Nelson’s golf club. He was determined to have been trying to protect Valencia, but agreed to plead guilty to the lesser charge since he could have instead grabbed Nelson to stop him. Horn was sentenced to six months in jail, all suspended.