Charges upgraded against man accused of attacking delivery driver
ATLANTA - Authorities have upgraded charges against a Fulton County man accused of attacking a delivery driver and trying to pull off her head covering.
Charges against Rick Painter, 55, were upgraded Friday to battery, aggravated assault, and false imprisonment charges. His bond was set at $20,000.
Police said officers were called to a scene on South Grand Avenue on the afternoon of Saturday, May 5. There they met 29-year-old Sonya Kristina King, a Door Dash delivery driver who told them she was assaulted.
Police said King was dropping off his lunch for Painter. She said as she tried to leave the home, Painter grabbed her by her niqab, attempted to grab her by the neck, and strangle her with it. She responded by hitting him on his face and body with her keys.
When police entered the home, they said they discovered Painter had blocked the door with a couch. They found Painter naked with "scars, marks, and bruises on his head and torso."
Painter initially was charged with a single count of misdemeanor battery, which the Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said was too light of a charge.