Kyle Marksteiner, the 32-year-old city editor of the Carlsbad Current-Argus, pleaded not guilty Monday at his arraignment on a charge of aggravated battery in connection with an incident outside a Carlsbad restaurant on or about March 2, the Current-Argus reported.

According to a criminal complaint, police were called to the emergency room of the Carlsbad Medical Center around 1 a.m. March 2 to investigate an alleged assault, the paper reported.

The apparent assault victim, Matthew Fletcher, had a portion of his right ear missing and told police he had been attacked in the parking lot of Chili's Grill and Bar where members of the cast of a play at the Carlsbad Community Theater had gathered, according to the complaint.

Fletcher told police that he and another cast member, identified as Victoria Parker, had left the restaurant and were talking in the parking lot when someone tackled him from behind, hit his face, pinned him to the ground and bit off part of his ear, the Current-Argus reported.

The incident lasted only about a minute, and the assailant left the scene, and while Fletcher said he didn't see who attacked him, he told police he believed it was Parker's live-in boyfriend, who was identified as Marksteiner, the Current-Argus said.

Fletcher said he picked up the detached piece of his ear and drove to the emergency room where he was told reattaching the ear will require two reconstructive surgeries, the paper reported.

Fletcher told police he believed Marksteiner was "obsessive" about Parker and the fact that the play required Fletcher and Parker to exchange kisses on stage, the Current-Argus said.

According to police, Fletcher and Parker had kissed in the parking lot just before the attack, the paper reported.

Marksteiner's attorney entered a not-guilty plea on his client's behalf on Monday, and Marksteiner was released on a $3,000 surety bond, the paper said.

Here, from the Current-Argus Web site, is a copy of the criminal complaint. 

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