MOSES LAKE — Kyle Leslie, a 37-year-old former employee of CJ Custom Meats, is set for a pre-trial hearing on April 17 after being charged with fourth-degree assault in connection with an altercation involving an 86-year-old customer last summer, the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed Monday.
The incident occurred on July 17 at the Moses Lake meat shop, where Leslie and the customer, identified as Robert Baker, became embroiled in a dispute over the quality of meat casings Baker had previously purchased. According to police reports, the disagreement escalated after Leslie asked Baker to stop swearing inside the store. When Baker refused to leave after completing his purchase, tensions rose further.
Security footage reviewed by police and local media captured the confrontation as it turned physical. The video shows Leslie allegedly pushing Baker, causing him to fall and sustain a head injury, and then allegedly punching him several times while he was on the ground. Leslie later claimed he acted in self-defense, alleging Baker struck him first, but the footage and police reports indicate Leslie was the aggressor in the encounter…