Lovetown, Ala. (WDNews) – On the morning of February 6, a 34-year-old woman was found injured in a yard on Dusty Lane near Woodland Road, prompting a swift response from emergency crews.
Houston County 911 received a “person down” call at 8:13 a.m. Deputies arrived to find the woman breathing but bleeding from the nose and mouth.
At a press conference, Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza identified the suspect as Latarius Malik Dale. According to Valenza, Dale, who was previously married or seperated to the victim, pried open the back door of the home around midnight. He entered the bedroom where she was watching TV and attacked her multiple times using a claw hammer hitting her in the head, face and torso rendering her unconscious.
In the morning, the victim regained consciousness at some point and attempted to walk to a neighbor’s house but collapsed in their yard, where she was later found unconscious. The neighbor contacted emergency services.
Dale fled the scene and was involved in a wreck on Cowarts Road around 1 a.m. Sheriff Valenza believes he was traveling at a high rate of speed and lost control of the vehicle. He was then transported to Southeast Health for treatment. As the investigation unfolded, enough evidence was in place and he was taken into custody at the hospital and later booked into the Houston County Jail.
Valenza said the suspect is being held without bond under Aniah’s Law. Records show he had a prior domestic violence arrest in 2023, but that charge was dropped.
This remains an ongoing investigation.
