Arrest Warrant Issued For Man Who Beatdown Columbus Artist Malcolm J

An arrest warrant has been issued in connection with the attack of Short North street artist Malcolm J. The arrest warrant accuses Brendan Tyler Baldwin on one count of felonious assault.

Malcolm Jones, 63, was attacked at Mike’s Grill after he attempted to assist a bartender with a irate customer.

Thirty-year-old Baldwin is wanted for allegedly attacking Jones on March 1. An hour after he was removed, witnesses say the man returned, armed with a broken beer bottle. Malcolm spoke to reporters from his hospital bed Friday, after having surgery to save his right eye. His eye socket is fractured and his vision is in jeopardy. source

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help Jones with his medical expenses and recovery.

From GoFundMe:

If you have been in the Short North any time in the past couple of decades, you have seen Malcolm J. His wonderful artwork and friendly personality are part of the fabric of the neighborhood.

Although he has had many challenges throughout his life, Malcolm has maintained his creative spark and his kind and gentle demeanor makes him a friend to many of us who call the neighborhood home.

On Thursday, March 1, Malcolm was attacked in a neighborhood bar by a man wielding a beer bottle. He is currently in the OSU Medical Center where we are told he is in danger of losing his eye.

Although details are still sketchy, I wanted to get this fundraiser up and running as quickly as possible. Because of his limited resources, Malcolm will surely need financial assistance to bounce back from this episode. In addition to all of the other lousy aspects of this situation, Malcolm is going to miss out on one of the biggest Gallery Hop nights of the year (The Arnold) and this will surely mean a great financial loss.

I will continue to pursue this matter and will post updates here as I know more about Malcolm’s condition. Meanwhile, I would like to get a little nest egg together for him so we can make his recovery as comfortable as possible.