COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A man who was arrested and charged with attacking a Columbus city employee while wielding an axe made his first court appearance on Monday.

Anthony Margiotti, 37, angrily appeared for his arraignment by video conference in Franklin County Municipal Court, after he allegedly attacked a woman who was performing an inspection of his residence on the 100 block of South Ashburton Road in Eastmoor. He refused to speak with his public defender and shouted obscenities during the arraignment, the video showed. 

According to Franklin County court documents, the woman from the City of Columbus Code Enforcement office was walking around his house on Thursday when it appeared no one was home. When she heard a noise inside the home, she returned to the front of the property. Margiotti then allegedly came out of the front door, yelling and swearing at the inspection officer.

He then grabbed the woman by her shirt collar and hair and dragged her back to her vehicle parked on the street, court documents said. The car was marked as belonging to City of Columbus Code Enforcement.

Margiotti, who was also holding an axe, let go of the woman and smashed all of the windows in the car. Court documents said he also destroyed a work computer in the front seat of the vehicle. The woman ran away from the scene and Columbus police arrived to arrest him.

Damage to the a work computer and the front windshield, allegedly from an axe that Anthony Margiotti used in an attack on a City of Columbus Code Enforcement officer. (Courtesy/City of Columbus)

During a pat-down, Margiotti spit in a Columbus police officer’s face while being taken into custody.

His bond was set for a total of $350,000 for his three charges which include:

  • Criminal damaging/endangering
  • Kidnapping
  • Harassment with a bodily substance

Other conditions of his bond include staying away from the victims and not being allowed to have alcohol, drugs, or weapons.

Margiotti also had a previous court case starting in February 2021 over a felony charge of harassment with a bodily substance. He pleaded not guilty in that instance. The case never saw a verdict because the prosecutor entered a Nolle Prosequi order, meaning they were abandoning the case.

“The defendant is not cooperating with a competency exam,” the presiding judge in that case wrote. “Defendant has been held in jail for 124 days. Civil commitment is to be sought.”

Once again in October 2022, Margiotti faced another felony charge of harassment with a bodily substance. The indictment filing lists it as “harassment by an inmate.” Franklin County Common Pleas Court records show that Margiotti did not show up to court for this case, and had an active warrant out for his arrest as officers came to the scene of Thursday’s incident.

Margiotti’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday morning.