A Bradford woman is facing aggravated assault charges after allegedly hitting another woman in the head and body several times with a tire iron.
Tanya M. Graves, 28, of 153 Main St., Apt. 103, was arraigned Wednesday before District Judge Dominic Cercone on charges of aggravated assault, a second-degree felony; possession of an instrument of crime, a first-degree misdemeanor; recklessly endangering another person and two counts of attempted simple assault, all second-degree misdemeanors.
According to the criminal complaint, Bradford City Police were called at 8:15 p.m. Nov. 29 to 6 S. Center St. for a report of an assault. There, they found Angel Fenton sitting on the front steps of her apartment. The door was open, and there was a tire iron on the floor near the doorway.
Police said they observed Fenton had swelling on her left cheekbone and the right side of her head; she was bleeding from a small laceration inside her right ear; her upper right arm was red; and there was redness, swelling and a minor abrasion on her right wrist, according to court records.
Fenton told police she received injuries to her head, wrist and arm while defending herself as Graves was allegedly hitting her with the tire iron; while injuries to her face were from being punched by Graves, the complaint stated.
The complaint outlined the events leading up to the alleged assault.
Fenton told police she was sitting at a table in her apartment, when Tara Donnelly opened her door and entered her apartment. Fenton alleged that heard Matthew Howard — Fenton’s husband — trying to kick the back door open. Donnelly took a chair and placed it against the inside of the door under the handle as Fenton got up to leave the apartment.
Graves then came in through the front door and allegedly began punching Fenton; when Fenton tried to fight back, she ended up on the floor. While she was on the floor, Graves grabbed a tire iron that was on the floor near a toolbox, ran back to Fenton — who was trying to leave — and hit Fenton several times with the tire iron in the head, arms and torso, according to the criminal complaint.
Fenton told police that Howard allegedly came into the apartment and watched as Graves assaulted her. Fenton said she ran from her apartment, and Graves chased her, continuing to punch her, the complaint stated. Fenton asked to borrow a neighbor’s phone but was told there was no phone, so Fenton ran back toward her apartment, Graves still allegedly punching her.
Fenton’s next door neighbor let her borrow a phone, and Graves and Howard fled in a minivan, according to the complaint.
According to court records, Graves had several active warrants in unrelated cases, including three in New York state and one in McKean County.
There is no indication than anyone else was charged in the alleged incident.
Graves is in McKean County Jail in lieu of 10 percent of $10,000 bail, and she is scheduled to appear in Central Court on May 3.
