LEWISTON — A transient with a long criminal history was held without bail Friday night, a day after police said he stabbed a woman in the leg and beat her with a baton.

An 8th District Court judge ruled that Charles “Scooter” Epps, 39, be held at Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn on a probation violation.

Police wrote in an affidavit that witnesses said Epps chased a 22-year-old woman in Kennedy Park shortly before 1:30 p.m. and threw a knife at her.

She retreated to a nearby van. Epps followed her, threatened to slash the van’s tire if it moved, and began beating her with a metal baton. He jumped into her seat and began swinging the knife, stabbing her on the shin and calf.

A man in the van pushed Epps off the woman. Epps landed in the back of the van, but later jumped out and the man ran after him.

The woman was driven to Central Maine Medical Center where she was treated for her injuries.

Police located Epps at 7:20 p.m. on Oak Street and said he was carrying a folding pocket knife. He denied he had been at the park, then asked for a lawyer, according to the affidavit.

Epps was charged with two counts of aggravated assault, Class B crimes each punishable by up to 10 years in prison. He also was charged with domestic violence assault, a Class C crime, which carries a prison sentence of up to five years.

Conviction for violation of condition of release carries a sentence of up to six months jail.

Epps has criminal histories in Maine and Florida. His first conviction was in Florida in 2000 for carrying a concealed weapon. He was 19.

He was arrested 14 more times in Florida between 2000 and 2005, and convicted of domestic violence, armed robbery, carrying a concealed weapon and violating probation. A number of other charges were dismissed.

In Maine, his criminal history began in 2011.

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