Couple charged after domestic incident with inflatable hammer

A Myrtle Beach man and woman were charged on Sunday evening after police responded to a domestic violence call, according to a report from the Myrtle Beach Police Department. Alesha Sommer Babcock, 33, was charged with criminal domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature, and Wayne Emmanuel Malcol Beachem, 37, was charged with criminal domestic violence 1st after police responded to their home around 10:49 p.m., the report said. The officer saw Beachem sitting on a kerb in the parking lot with a juvenile sitting in the driver’s seat of a Suzuki, while Babcock was standing in the doorway of the home, the report said. Beachem told police the couple had been living together for the last few months and that they had been dating for the last eight months.



He said his son had just moved in with them one week ago from Pennsylvania. Beachem told police that earlier in the day, the couple had been to the Coastal Uncorked festival, and both had been drinking, the report said. He said he found out that a friend of his had died, so they returned to their residence. He said Babcock began to hit him with an inflatable hammer, and that his son went upstairs and was upset because she would not stop. Beachem said he told Babcock that she couldn’t treat him the same way as you do a 3-year-old, and when they say, “That’s enough, that’s enough,” the report said. He said she cornered him in the upstairs bathroom and pushed him down onto the toilet, yelling at him and poking him in the chest and face.

He said he, “grabbed her and moved her aside,” breaking the drywall in the process, as he tried to get out of the bathroom, the report said. Beachem said he went outside to get away from her, and she followed him out, swinging her fist at him, the report said. He believes she made contact with his head because he said his jaw was hurting, but the police did not observe any physical manifestation of injury. Beachem said Babcock returned inside, then came back outside and into the parking lot with a hammer, the report said. He said he thought she was going to throw the hammer at him, so he closed the gap, and when she swung it at him, he blocked it with his left arm and took it from her.



He said he then threw the hammer into the bushes to keep it away from her. He said she returned inside, and he asked their neighbour to call the police. Police recovered the hammer from the bushes where Beachem said he had thrown it, which was across the parking lot and away from the residence, the report said. In her police interview inside the residence, Babcock said she remembered swinging the hammer at Beachem because she was trying to kill him, the report said. Both offenders were placed under arrest, based on their statements, visible indications of injury and property damage inside the residence, the report said. Neither party has a prior criminal history for criminal domestic violence.