A Bronx man is back home, now charged with assault in the beating death of a man who police said allegedly tried to rape his wife Monday.

It happened around 10:15 p.m. at a building located at 1240 Washington Avenue near 168th Street in Morrisania.

Investigators say 43-year-old Earl Nash, seen in the photo to the left, forced his way into the 51-year-old woman's apartment and attacked her.

She managed to run away and used her cell phone to call her husband, 61-year-old Mamadou Diallo, who was just outside the building.

Investigators said Diallo confronted Nash in the hallway and beat him with a tire iron. Nash later died at Lincoln Hospital.

Diallo was released on recognizance. Community members showed an outpouring of support and defended his actions.

"Everybody's excited that he's out, but I think everybody — nobody would like to be in this kind of situation. He's put in a situation where he has to defend his family, defend himself, which resulted in an unfortunate situation," said community activist Abdoul Diallo, who is not related to Mamadou Diallo. "We hope that this case will go away, so that he can go ahead with his life."

Police said Nash had 14 prior arrests, dating back to 1997, and had served time in prison.

In court, the state had argued for some sort of bail, saying it is still reviewing a surveillance tape and 911 calls.

However, Diallo's attorney argued he was not a flight risk, calling him a deeply religious man with strong ties to the community.

"I just needed to point out how much of an outrage and how really disappointing and questionable it is, that a gentleman like this — 61 years old, a family man — will have to resort to this kind of situation to defend his family," Abdoul Diallo said.

Supporters point to Nash's lengthy criminal record and charges that include robbery, assault, harassment, and the sale of a controlled substance.

One community activist called the charges a travesty.

"This should not have happened," said Charles Cooper of the Bronx African Advisory Council. "His family cannot sustain without him. He's the provider for the family, and it sends a really bad message."

Diallo will have nearly a month at home; his next court appearance is not until June 27.