Comedy host attacked on stage with baseball bat: police

[January 08, 2015]  SEATTLE (Reuters) - A would-be comedian who had been barred from performing at a Seattle-area club climbed the venue's stage and attacked the show's host with a baseball bat, police said on Wednesday.

The alleged attacker, Steven Baldwin, was facing felony assault charges and was being held without bail as he awaited a first court appearance in connection with the Jan. 5 incident, a spokeswoman for the Police Department in the Seattle suburb of Renton said.

Baldwin is accused of sneaking into Local 907 and then rushing the Renton club's stage with a baseball bat, striking the show's host, Dylan Avila, 36, in the head in front of dozens of horrified onlookers, according to a police report.

Patrons detained Baldwin until police could respond, the Renton police spokeswoman said.

Avila suffered a fractured skull and was recovering at a local hospital.

Patrons and bar owners told authorities the suspect had recently been prohibited from performing at open-mic nights.

The victim's wife told the Seattle Times that the suspect was not allowed back on stage because he had performed a set recently in which he introduced himself as Jesus Christ and then used a Bible and sex toy as props.

It was unclear if Baldwin had obtained an attorney or what plea he intended to enter in court. The club, Local 907, could not be immediately reached.

(Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere; Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Christian Plumb)

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