By JEFFRY SCOTT
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 12/28/07

His father died last year and left him out of the will. His dad's money and property instead went to his aunt. So, on Thursday, Michael Amsie allegedly showed up at her Buckhead home, planning to collect.

The 20-year-old man was carrying a sawed-off shotgun and a knife and wearing a disguise, gloves and a mask, police said.

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His alleged targets — Eleanor Barton, in her 70s, and her husband Charles Barton, in his 80s — were no match for Amsie physically.

But one thing Amsie hadn't figure on was the family's gardener, Edwardo Tovar, 28, police said. They credited him Friday with foiling the heist and probably saving the Bartons' lives.

As Amsie tried to corral the couple and the gardener into the den of the Bartons' home, Tovar grabbed a fireplace tool and struck Amsie in the head.

Stunned, Amsie dropped the shotgun and came at Tovar with the knife. They fought. Tovar was stabbed in the left side of the face, left shoulder, left chest, right knee and both hands.

The family, meanwhile, called police. When officers arrived, according to an incident report, they found Amsie lying on the floor and "excessive blood throughout the house."

They handcuffed Amsie and took him to Grady Memorial Hospital. The family rushed Tovar to Piedmont Hospital.

On Friday, Amsie, of Maurertown, Va., was released from Grady, arrested and charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a sawed-off shotgun. A judge denied him bond, and he was taken to Fulton County jail.

Police were releasing few details outside the incident report. And a woman speaking for the Bartons, who are prominent art patrons in the city, referred a reporter to attorney Edward Garland, who could not be reached for comment.

Tovar has worked for the Barton family about five years, according to police. He was recovering from his wounds at Piedmont.

A woman who answered the phone in his room and identified herself as his wife, said, "He is in pretty bad shape, but he will be fine."

She declined to elaborate, saying, "The Bartons told me to keep this as private as possible."

Amsie's next court date is set for next court date Jan 11. His public defender could not be reached for comment.

In an unrelated case in Virginia, Amsie was charged with felony eluding and child endangerment. He has been free on bail and has a Jan. 2 court date on those charges.