Police records: Another person charged in connection to West Asheville Library assault

ASHEVILLE - City police charged a fourth person after an assault of three seminar attendees at the West Asheville Library June 29, this time for allegedly possessing one of the attendee’s stolen phones.

Bex Echo Hellbender, 43, of Asheville, is charged with misdemeanor possession of stolen goods for having Monica Buckley’s cell phone while “knowing and having reasonable grounds to believe the property (had) been stolen, taken and carried away,” according to her arrest warrant.

Hellbender turned herself in on July 24 and was released from custody on a written promise to appear in court, according to court documents. Her next court date is set for Nov. 5.

This is the fourth criminal charge stemming from a fight that broke out in one of the library’s public meeting rooms during a seminar called “Strategic Lessons from the Palestinian Resistance,” which was part of the fifth annual Another Carolina Anarchist Bookfair. Between 80 and 100 people were in attendance, according to police.

Two people face charges of misdemeanor ethnic intimidation “specifically for” actions at the library, according to police. Michael Solomon Brocenos, 34, of Maryland, was charged first, followed by Tyler Byrne Hackett Kelly, 33, a couple days later.

When the Asheville Police Department announced the ethnic intimidation charges on July 16 and July 18, Brocenos and Kelly had not been located and arrested yet. APD spokesperson Rick Rice told the Citizen Times Aug. 7 that Brocenos turned himself in and was released "today." Kelly was arrested July 24 and released the same day.

APD officers first responded to reports of a fight in progress around 2:57 p.m. June 29 at the library on Haywood Road, the Citizen Times previously reported. Police received three 911 calls during the incident, one coming from a librarian.

Tensions arose when an attendee, Buckley, 48, was livestreaming the speech. This allegedly escalated to punching and kicking, as previously reported. In a video circulating on social media, an attendee calls attention to the livestream and another person responds, "They're Zionists. We've been trying to figure out how to deal with them."

Previous reporting: City leaders respond to alleged West Asheville Library assaults; Police investigate

After some back and forth between the crowd and the speaker while the group discussed what to do, a few attendees are seen gathering in front of the three alleged victims sitting along a side wall. Two men start clapping near another attendee’s face, Bob Campbell, 79, and the crowd chants, "Free Palestine."

"From Hamas," Campbell yells back.

At that moment, a woman grabbed Buckley's phone, she said, and the video goes dark. Loud scuffling is heard over the recording's audio, as well as Moritz saying, “Don’t touch me” and someone saying to Campbell: “We don’t give a ... about how old you are."

As the video keeps rolling, someone says, “this is someone’s phone I’m just going to chuck it against the wall," before the recording swirls as the phone falls into the grass outside.

Buckley said her phone was later found in the yard behind the library and Campbell's was found in a trash bin.

On Aug. 7, Rice said APD detectives are continuing to investigate the incident, after which Buckley, Campbell and David Moritz, 54, said they had numerous bruises and abrasions.

“As for a general update of the investigation, detectives are working with victims and witnesses and continuing to gather information and collect tips. All available video has been reviewed,” Rice said.

911 calls during library assault: 911 calls reveal events at alleged W. Asheville Library assault; peace group speaks out

More: Asheville police charge 2nd man with ethnic intimidation after assault at library

Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Another person charged in connection to West Asheville Library assault