Woman accused of breaking into ex’s home, assaulting new girlfriend
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PAYSON, Utah (ABC4) — A Payson woman was arrested Sunday after allegedly breaking into her ex’s home to assault his new girlfriend, according to an affidavit of probable cause from Utah County.
The woman, 33, was arrested on eight charges, including assault, assault with substantial bodily injury, burglary of a dwelling, child abuse with injury, criminal mischief, “manufacture/possess burglary tools” and two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, as stated in the affidavit.
The suspect’s name has been withheld to protect the victims’ identities.
According to arrest documents, the woman was in a relationship with the man whose home she reportedly broke into and they had children together. When she got into the home, the affidavit says she “attacked the female victim by pulling her hair and hitting her on the back of the neck.”
The woman that the suspect allegedly attacked was revealed to be the male victim’s new girlfriend, and there were children in the home at the time of the attack, the affidavit says.
Documents say the victim told police that the suspect pushed one of her children out of the way before attacking the victim, but there were no visible injuries on the child.
Police reported seeing red marks where the suspect hit the female victim in addition to “long strands of hair in the garbage can” that were reportedly pulled off of the victim’s head. Police also observed a scratch on the male victim’s left hand.
Before the reported attacks, documents say the suspect was “trying to force her way inside the residence using a heavy duty filing tool with a red and black handle.” The affidavit also says the tool was left at the scene and taken for evidence, and the tool had paint shavings that matched the home doorway.
Both doorways that grant entry into the home were damaged by the tool, the affidavit states. In addition, one of the doors in the home was damaged as well.
“The door was pulled with such force … that it broke the wood door just below the handle,” the affidavit states.
The male victim told the suspect that he called police and she reportedly fled the scene before being located by another police agency, according to arrest documents.
After the suspect was arrested, she reportedly admitted to officers that she used the tool to get into the home and also admitted to damaging the doors in the home. She also allegedly admitted to pulling the hair of the female victim and hitting her.
She claimed the male victim told her to go there and have sex with him, but both the male and female victims did not say that happened.
Documents say the arrested woman was transported to the Utah County Jail.
Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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