Man Allegedly Hit Wife With Loaf of Bread, Board in 'Domestic Dispute'

A man from Sweetwater, Tennessee, has been accused of hitting his wife with a loaf of bread and a "board" in a "domestic dispute" earlier this month, CBS affiliate station WJAX reported.

The man has since been arrested and charged with aggravated assault, among other charges, the station said.

According to the Advocate & Democrat, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office was called about a domestic dispute on February 5 involving the driver of a black SUV, who police later identified as Thomas Matthew Grande.

Deputy Dakota Rinehart found and subsequently followed Grande. Meanwhile, Sgt. Tillman Steele visited Grande's home, where the alleged dispute occurred.

"Rinehart said he saw the SUV attempting to back down a long driveway where it ran off the gravel and struck some shrubbery before almost running into an embankment," the paper reported. Grande then entered onto a highway and crossed the center line "several times" before finally being pulled over by Rinehart.

Rinehart conducted a sobriety test on Grande but Grande failed and was subsequently arrested, the Advocate & Democrat said.

Back at Grande's home, Tillman spoke to Grande's wife, Erica Grande. She said the couple had gotten into a heated argument earlier that night after Thomas Grande accused Erica Grande of having an affair. Eventually, Thomas Grande "hit [Erica Grande] in the face with a loaf of bread," the paper reported.

When Erica Grande attempted to leave their home, Thomas Grande then hit her with a "board," she claimed.

In addition to being charged with aggravated assault, Thomas Grande was also charged with reckless driving, DUI and two traffic violations.

Newsweek has reached out to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office for more information but did not hear back in time for publication.

In the state of Tennessee, aggravated assault is typically considered either a class C or class D felony, "depending on the circumstances," according to the Law Offices of Adrian Altshuler & Associates. Penalties for felonies can range from two to 15 years in prison and/or fines of up to $10,000.

Both the class of the felony as well as the "status of the victim" can and do affect sentencing, the law firm explained.

Reckless driving, on the other hand, is a class B misdemeanor, which could result in up to six months in jail and a maximum of $580 in fines, said DrivingLaws.

Meanwhile, first-time DUI offenders in Tennessee must spend at least 48 hours in jail, DrivingLaws continued.

"But if the driver had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .20% or greater, the minimum jail time is seven days," DrivingLaws said, adding that the maximum jail sentence for a first-time DUI offender is 11 months and 29 days.