Man accused of beating woman found dazed at hotel

A 33-year-old Port Washington man was charged in Ozaukee County Circuit Court Monday with beating a woman found dazed in the lobby of a Grafton hotel.

When police arrested Thomas A. Michaels at his home, he was armed with a 9mm handgun loaded with hollow-point bullets. He does not have a concealed carry permit, according to a criminal complaint charging him with substantial battery, a felony, and misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct-use of a dangerous weapon and carrying a concealed weapon. 

Michaels’ arrest came after police were called to the Hampton Inn and Suites at 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 8. There they found a woman who appeared to be dazed and confused and were told by hotel employees and the woman’s son that Michaels had been with her at the hotel and left in a hurry shortly before officers arrived, the complaint states.

Officers checked the room where she had been staying and said it appeared that someone had tried to clean up a large amount of blood. A bag of ammunition, which the woman said belonged to Michaels, was found in the room.

The woman was taken to a hospital and later told authorities that she had checked into the hotel on Jan. 6 and Michaels attacked her in the bathroom “the other night,” according to the complaint.

She said Michaels slammed her head against the wall several times, causing her to pass out, kicked her in the stomach when she was on the ground and called her profane names, the complaint states.

The woman also said Michaels had shown his gun to her and her son, telling them people were after him. She said he told them that if they mentioned to anyone he had a gun, he would shoot both of them, according to the complaint.

Officers noticed the woman’s forehead was bruised, she had dry blood in her hair and there were marks on her neck. 

Court records show Michaels was released from jail earlier this week in lieu of $3,000 bail. Ozaukee County Circuit Judge Paul Malloy ordered him not to have contact with the woman or her son and not to possess guns or other dangerous weapons.