A 30-year-old man faces two felonies for allegedly beating a stranger with a metal pipe to the point of fracturing his neck and jaw in a daylight attack on Kansas City’s East Side.

Jackson County prosecutors charged William R. Andrews, of Kansas City, with armed criminal action and first-degree assault, a Class A felony under Missouri law. As of Monday, Andrews was being held in the county jail on a $50,000 cash bond.

On Friday, shortly before 7 p.m., Kansas City police officers were dispatched to East 31st Street and Van Brunt Boulevard on a report of a disturbance. Responding officers were flagged down and directed to a person suffering serious injuries in an abandoned parking lot.

His teeth appeared to be falling out and blood was coming from his face as officers provided first aid until medics arrived, according to court documents. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition and put on a ventilator.

Several witnesses reported seeing a man, armed with a pole, beating the assault victim minutes earlier and then walking away. Witnesses said the person was not fighting back, and reported seeing as many as 10 strikes.

Witnesses also said the man with the pole threatened others who came to the assault victim’s aid. Two thought the assault victim had been killed based on what they saw.

Roughly 15 minutes after the first 911 call came in, police officers were led to Andrews by two witnesses who said they had followed the suspect. He allegedly had a pole in his hand when he was spotted by police and was subsequently arrested near East 26th Street and Brighton Avenue.

During a police interview, Andrews allegedly said he had been “minding his own business” when someone at a bus stop called over to him and started asking “dumb questions,” according to court documents.

After walking across the street, he said, the person put a hand on him. He allegedly admitted to striking him, but said he did so because he believed he was going to be attacked.

Under Missouri law, Andrews faces between 10 and 30 years in prison if convicted of first-degree assault. Court records also show Andrews faces a five-year prison suspended sentence for a separate felony assault conviction from March.

Online court records did not list a defense attorney for Andrews as of Monday.