Woman faces attempted homicide charge after incident at Monessen parking lot
Sep. 22—A Monessen woman was jailed Friday after city police said she stabbed another woman during a fight in a parking lot, according to court papers.
The injured woman was taken by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh hospital Sunday where doctors said she had two stab wounds on her torso that caused lung injuries, police said.
Raynelle I. Mays, 48, is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault and related offenses.
Investigators said the women and others agreed to meet in a parking lot in Monessen around 8 p.m. to discuss issues surrounding romantic relationships their children had on separate occasions with the same person, according to court papers. The meeting stemmed from various social media posts about the relationships.
The fight was reported to police, but no one was at the scene when officers arrived.
Mays called 911 to report that she and her son were assaulted at the parking lot and police said they noticed blood on Mays' sweatpants and a cut on her finger. Investigators learned simultaneously that a stabbing victim had arrived at Penn Highlands Mon Valley Hospital related to the parking lot fight.
Mays claimed she was defending herself. She was being held at the Westmoreland County Prison on $20,000 bail.
An Oct. 6 preliminary hearing is set. She did not have an attorney listed in online court records.
Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta by email at rsignorini@triblive.com or via Twitter .
