UPDATE 2/4/2026: Hatchet man is currently being held on a new $15,000 cash bond for probation violation.
A Hazel Park man accused of swinging a hatchet at another man’s head was already on active probation for the same violent felony when the attack happened, according to Michigan Department of Corrections records reviewed by New Media Detroit.
Hazel Park Police say the incident happened around 2:20 a.m. on January 29, 2026, inside a residence on East 9 Mile Road. Officers were alerted after a 31-year-old Royal Oak man arrived at a local hospital with severe injuries to his hand and mouth. The victim told police he and two friends had gone to the home to pick someone up when a confrontation erupted with another resident over an earlier dispute involving a family member. According to police, the suspect grabbed a hatchet off the dining room wall and swung it at the victim’s head. The victim raised his hand to block the blow, suffering a deep cut, before fleeing toward a vehicle. Police say the suspect chased him and struck him in the face with the hammer end of the hatchet.
Investigators later executed a search warrant at the home, recovered the weapon and blood evidence, and arrested the suspect. The Oakland County Prosecutor authorized a felony charge of Assault With Intent to Do Great Bodily Harm, a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The suspect was identified as Robert Joseph Narducci, 51, of Hazel Park. Court records show that on January 30, Narducci stood mute during arraignment, and a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. He was released on a $10,000 bond pending further court proceedings.
What makes the case far more serious is Narducci’s existing criminal status. Records show he is currently on probation for Assault With Intent to Do Great Bodily Harm, the same violent felony he is now accused of committing again. That no contest plea stems from a June 24, 2023 offense in Oakland County. He was sentenced on March 21, 2024, and remains under supervision until March 21, 2027.
As part of the terms of his probation he’s prohibited from owning, or possessing weapons of any kind. While a hatchet on a wall may appear to be a decorative piece of furniture, one pictured here is anything but a stylistic piece, as evident by the victims injuries.
That means when police say Narducci allegedly attacked the victim with a hatchet inside the Hazel Park home, he was already under active felony probation supervision for a nearly identical crime. Under Michigan law, committing a new violent felony while on probation exposes a defendant to probation revocation, prison time on the original case, and enhanced consequences on the new charge.
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