Douglasville police have charged a 19-year-old college student they say threw a rock that badly injured a high school softball player as she swam at a hotel pool.
Michael Royal, who is from Florida, was arrested at his college in Texas and will be transported back to Douglas County, authorities said. He is charged with aggravated battery and aggravated assault for allegedly picking up a large rock and throwing it over a fence at the Comfort Inn.
The rock hit 16-year-old Megan Ekart, whose team was in town from Sellersburg, Ind., for the Atlanta Legacy Showcase tournament, authorities said.
RELATED: High school softball player hit by rock while swimming in Douglas County hotel pool
“I felt something hit me and I blacked out and realized I was underwater,” Ekart previously told Channel 2 Action News. "I don’t understand what makes that enjoyable for someone to throw a rock and ruin someone’s life.”
Ekart was pulled from the water by her teammates and rushed to the hospital, where she received 17 stitches in her head.
Douglasville police Capt. Brad Stafford said investigators don’t believe Royal knew the girls on the softball team. He was in town for a basketball tournament, police said.
It’s unclear whether he intended to hit anyone with the rock.
Deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office are on their way to Texas to pick up Royal, who is expected to have a first appearance hearing Monday.
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