An El Paso County judge ruled Thursday to bind over, or accept, the charges faced by the suspect in the August assault in the Broadmoor Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway parking lot that left one person hospitalized in serious condition, meaning the case can proceed.

Arvada resident Randy Blevins, 49, faces second-degree assault charges for the alleged assault. It was revealed in court on Thursday that while the victim, a 66-year-old man, is now out of the hospital, he remains unable to form complete sentences, and memory concerns remain.

Thursday’s hearing was short, with only Manitou Springs detective Amanda Strider called to the stand for brief testimony. Her statements primarily focused on the conflicting — and at times confusing — witness reports of the alleged incident.

Strider testified that several individuals called into the police station after hearing about the assault and seeing Blevins’ photograph in the news. Statements consistently pointed to Blevins punching the victim, but they were fairly inconsistent about how the assault allegedly began.

According to previous Gazette coverage, the situation started on Aug. 18, when Blevins and his wife were walking through the Cog Railway parking lot after completing the Manitou Incline that morning. Both witness statements and surveillance footage were consistent, describing how three parking lot attendants started to follow the Blevins couple and “yell” at the pair to leave, because they were trespassing.

Strider testified that one of the parking lot attendants told law enforcement that people trespassing through the Cog Railway parking lot was a common occurrence, and staff are often met with aggression.

It is unclear whether there was an altercation beforehand, but some witnesses reported that the victim grabbed Blevins by the backpack or shirt and “swung” him around in the other direction in an attempt to get him to leave. Witness statements vary on the victim’s level of aggressiveness.

Other witness statements, including those from Blevins, indicated the victim had punched Blevins first, but others stated the opposite.

When interviewed by detectives, Blevins said he “gave it all he had” when he punched the victim. Witness statements conflict on the number of times Blevins struck the victim.

At the end of the hearing, Judge Amanda Philipps ruled to accept the charges as filed, but acknowledged there may be an element of self-defense. However, Philipps said that argument is not one she can take into consideration during a preliminary hearing.

Blevins appeared out of custody for his Thursday hearing. Court records indicate he posted his $10,000 bond amount shortly after his arrest. Blevins will appear next in court on Dec. 4, when he is expected to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty.

The Cog Railway is an affiliate of the Denver-based Anschutz Corp., whose Clarity Media Group owns The Gazette.

The railway was founded in 1889, with the first rides up to the summit of Pikes Peak on three steam-powered locomotives happening a year later.