By By Janet Little Cooper – special to the standard
An Atmore resident is being held on a $1.5 million bail in Baldwin County for allegedly restraining an Orange Beach man inside his mobile home while beating and torturing him.
Diana Lashay Byrd, 24, of 125 Green Acres Road, Atmore, along with Hayward Aaron Hartley, 26, of Cottondale, face charges of attempted murder, first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery and first-degree theft of property.
According to authorities, the pair went to the home of Shaun Cassidy, 58, of Orange Beach, New Year's Eve asking to borrow money. When Cassidy refused, the couple left the property. Cassidy left as well, only to return home a short time later to find Byrd and Hartley burglarizing his home.
Brown said that once the pair was able to open the safe, they stole the contents that included money and jewelry as well as other items from inside the home.
Among the stolen items, were Cassidy's credit cards that were obtained after leaving him bound and injured.
Cassidy had previously signed a warrant with Orange Beach police for misdemeanor assault charges against Hartley.
According to Brown, the couple fled the scene of Cassidy's home at the Bay La Launch Mobile Home Park in the victim's vehicle.
Authorities were able to capture the suspects in a Mobile motel room Tuesday after tracking Cassidy's credit card from purchases made by the two at Target and Wal-Mart on New Year's Eve.
Cassidy was able to free himself and went to a neighbor for help. He was treated and released after an overnight stay at the University of South Alabama Medical Center in Mobile.