Kenner bat

Kenner police say this bat, covered with several dozen metal bolts, was used to beat and critically injured a man on May 3, 2023. 

A Kenner couple was arrested after authorities say they attacked a man and beat him with a bat that had been outfitted with dozens of metal bolts. 

Kimberly Tonquinto, 33, and David Shives, 34, both of Kenner, were booked Friday with attempted second-degree murder, according to Capt. Michael Cunningham, a Kenner Police Department spokesperson. 

The victim, a 38-year-old man, suffered skull fractures and was taken to the hospital in critical condition, authorities said. 

Kimberly Tonquinto - David Shives

Kimberly Tonquinto, left, and David Shives, were arrested and booked with attempted second-degree murder.

The attack occurred on the morning of May 31 near the home that Tonquinto and Shives share in the 2100 block of 10th Street in Kenner, Cunningham said. The victim, an acquaintance, had gone to the house about 8 a.m. He told a witness that he suspected Tonquinto of stealing his wallet, according to authorities. 

It's not clear what transpired once he entered the couple's home. But a witness and video surveillance show the man running out of the residence, chased shortly thereafter by Shives, Cunningham said. 

Shives punched, kicked and stomped the victim in the middle of the street, according to authorities. At some point during the pursuit, the victim pulled out an Airsoft pellet gun and fired at Shives. Shives got the pellet gun away from the victim and hit him with it, as well, police said. 

As the man lay wounded in the street, Tonquinto ran up brandishing the wooden bat that had been outfitted with metal bolts screwed into and encircling the top, Cunningham said.

She used the bat to beat him in the head and body, striking him more than 15 times, according to police. The couple then took off. 

The beaten and bloodied victim managed to stumble to a nearby McDonald's restaurant where employees dialed 911, Cunningham said.

He was taken to a hospital and diagnosed with skull fractures, brain bleeds, broken ribs, facial fractures and other cuts and bruises, authorities said. The man had to be intubated and placed on a ventilator. 

Investigators identified Tonquinto and Shives as suspects, Cunningham said. 

Tonquinto was arrested Thursday at a motel in the 2800 block of Williams Boulevard in Kenner. An officer found her hiding inside a medium-sized refrigerator in the room, according to Cunningham. They also recovered a bag of methamphetamine in the room, an arrest report said. 

Shives was arrested after officers found him hiding in the attic of his home. 

In addition to attempted murder, Tonquinto was booked with drug possession. She and Shives were being held Tuesday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. Bail in the case was set at $505,000 for Tonquinto and $500,000 for Shives, Cunningham said.