A Radford University student who was found seriously injured at an apartment complex early Saturday morning had been pushed from a balcony, Radford police said.

Bobby Fletcher Thomason, 21, was found unconscious at the bottom of a set of stairs at the 500 building at Hunter's Ridge Apartments just after 3 a.m., police said.

Thomason was taken to Carilion New River Valley Medical Center and then flown to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. He has been listed in critical condition since he was found.

Police first said the incident appeared to be an accident and that Thomason had apparently fallen 10 to 15 feet onto the concrete.

But later Saturday, Radford police Lt. Andy Wilburn said, police arrested William Christopher Ritter, 19, of Radford and charged him with aggravated malicious wounding. Ritter is accused of assaulting Thomason and then pushing him over the balcony.

Ritter was arrested late Saturday night without incident, Wilburn said. He said interviews that were done as part of the investigation led to his arrest.

Police don't think Ritter and Thomason knew each other, Wilburn said.

Neither man lived at the apartment building, he said. Ritter had been there with friends. It is unclear why Thomason was there, he said.

Wilburn said he thought Thomason fell just before someone called 911 at 3:05 a.m.

Ritter is being held without bond at the New River Valley Regional Jail in Dublin. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Radford General District Court on Thursday morning.

If convicted, aggravated malicious wounding is punishable by 20 years to life in prison.