MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — A Mobile man faces reconstructive surgery after he says he was assaulted in midtown. The victim says he’s not sure how much the whole ordeal will cost him. Tom Cleaveland says he’s shaken by what happened and glad it wasn’t worse after what was supposed to be a fun night out turned into a nightmare.
Cleaveland says his night started late last Monday night, August 24th, on Dauphin Street, hanging out at the Brickyard. There, he says he befriended a man–and as they’re hanging out, he asks Cleaveland to buy him a meal.
Because it was so late, they took a ride-share to the Waffle House in Midtown. After eating, the man asks to borrow Cleaveland’s phone — and then takes it and runs off. Cleaveland follows him, demanding his stuff back-that’s when he says the man turned on him and started beating him. He says the whole thing left him shaken.
“Just try to stay, you know, positive and stay, you know, And this is helping me get my story across that there’s a lot of good in this world, but there is a lot of bad in this world. And you just got to keep your head on a swivel, keep your head up and know who’s got your back and who you can count on when you need them,” said Tom Cleaveland. “In fact, nothing in this world is going to take me down. I am going to continue to be me. I am just going to be a more careful, cautious me, but I’m still going to have a kind heart. I’m still going to be giving and caring and kind and pay it forward if I can, when I can. But right now, this situation has set me back.”…