Articles Posted in Assaults & Batteries

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Sherri Lynn Wilkins, a substance abuse counselor in California, hit a man with her vehicle and drove two miles with his body plastered to her windshield. Wilkins was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

The 55 year old Wilkins had pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and two counts of driving under the influence (DUI).

In 2014, Wilkins was found guilty on similar charges relating to the same crime, but an appeals court threw out the conviction based on the fact that her whole life’s criminal history had been admitted into trial and could have possibly caused prejudice with the jury.

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In a carjacking incident in Westminster the carjacker claims he was not aware of the three children inside the vehicle. The children’s father had left the car idling in a parking spot in front of a water store while he went inside, only expecting to be in there a short time.

Thien Nguyen’s defense attorney, in his opening statement, acknowledged that his client stole the Lexus SUV from a Westminster parking lot and led the police on a chase through multiple red lights.

Nguyen’s attorney also admits that his client quickly realized that there was an 11 year old boy in the passenger seat. But his lawyer denies that Nguyen purposely kidnapped the two boys and a girl. His lawyer also denies that his client intentionally rammed into other cars.

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According to a Las Vegas police arrest report, Tyree Wright had strict rules for his woman. She had to give him $2500 from her sex work earnings and would have to sit behind him in the back seat of his car. If she did not comply he would beat her.

Police say Wright started dating the woman in July 2014 and “convinced her to work for him as a prostitute and dancer.” Her name has not yet been released.

Although she was afraid of Wright, she continued on in the relationship out of desperation. She did try to leave him once and changed the locks on her doors but, she left the door unlocked and he found her. It’s alleged in the arrest report that Wright made a videotape of him beating her and put it on social media.

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On Wednesday afternoon, a group of teens were walking home from school in an Anaheim neighborhood when an Anaheim resident confronted the teens. The resident is an LAPD officer who was off duty at the time. He complains that the teens were allegedly walking on his property. The officer and teens exchanged some words and that’s when the off duty policeman allegedly grabbed a 13 year old boy. The other teens immediately took out their phones to start recording what happened next.

The 13 year old boy allegedly threatened to shoot the man, according to Anaheim police, which led to the off duty officer trying to handcuff the boy. “You’ve been resisting the whole time,” the man told the boy, who you can see in the video refusing to let go. “Punch a kid in the nuts, that’s a pussy move,” the boy responded. “Let me go, for the last time!”

The boy alleged that the off duty officer called a girl a “cunt” when telling her to get off his lawn, then tackled the boy first when he stood up for the girl.

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Police claim that a 36-year old man took them on a chase from Redondo Beach to San Pedro, and that he then tried to run over a police officer.

Dallaire, a resident of Redondo Beach, made his first appearance in Torrance court and pled not guilty at his arraignment.

According to police, Dallaire drove away from police in Redondo Beach on Saturday when they tried to pull him over for a traffic violation. Officers had chased him to Gaffey St. and Summerland Ave. in San Pedro where he crashed his car. A Redondo Beach police officer tried to approach Dallaire, but Dallaire allegedly put the car in reverse, trying to hit the officer with his car. That prompted the officer to shoot, police said.

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In January 2015, at an Ellis County, Texas firehouse, five volunteer firefighters allegedly held down a new recruit and sodomized him with a sausage while a woman recorded it on her cell phone.

A grand jury indicted the group along with the chief and assistant chief several months later.

The group of firefighters could be heard laughing in the video. The victim, Jason Waldeck, said they allegedly held him down over a couch and assaulted him with a sausage after first trying to use a broomstick. Investigators say he crawled into the bathroom, vomited and took a shower. But, as a final blow, when he returned, the firefighters ripped his towel off and stole his clothes.

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Michelle Betancourt was sentenced on Tuesday for stabbing her three year old son during a domestic dispute with the child’s father.

In May 2015, Michelle Betancourt of Los Angeles and her child’s father got into a heated argument. The twenty-three year old woman lost control and threw a knife at the man, but it hit her child instead. Neighbors reported terrifying screaming and crying and a woman yelling something about “a lot of blood.” Neighbors saw Betancourt running down the driveway, holding the wounded boy, while screaming hysterically. The boy’s father initially claimed that the boy had stabbed himself.

The boy’s injuries were life-threatening, but he did recover. Betancourt was arrested and charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and personal infliction of great bodily injury. Although police originally claimed the assault was intentional, after thoroughly reviewing the case prosecutors decided they could not file attempted murder charges. Attempted murder requires the specific intent to murder, whereas Betancourt acted wantonly and recklessly. Her attorney insists that she did not intend to harm her child.

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Everyone has heard the Miranda advisement “You have the right to remain silent. Everything you say can and will be used against you…” As an Orange County criminal defense lawyer, I would like everyone to hear that everything you post on Facebook or other social media will be used against you. In just the last few months I’ve seen the following:

-Two gang members and a friend post a video of a fight they got in with a rival gang member.

-A woman posts a picture of herself holding a meth pipe and blowing a ring of smoke.

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Mel Gibson is a well-known local hothead. It came as no surprise to Southern California or Orange County residents then when officials in Sydney, Australia said they were investigating him for criminal assault or battery on a member of the paparazzi. Worse, that member was a woman, who claimed that he shoved her in the back and spit on her. Police claim they did a thorough investigation, which included talking with witnesses and reviewing security camera footage, but have ultimately decided not to file criminal charges, much to the anger of the alleged victim.

Assault and battery can be serious charges. As an Orange County criminal attorney I defend innocent people of accusations of assault and battery weekly. But most people are not subject to the careful scrutiny that Mel Gibson received before charges are filed. Unfortunately, assault and battery charges are often filed on nothing more than a simple verbal allegation, such as “he punched me.”

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A Fresno, CA man is accused of severely beating his wife after she continually posted selfies on Instagram, an online mobile photo-sharing, video-sharing and social networking service.

After her husband allegedly beat and threatened to kill her, the victim ran off with their 5 and 7 year old children and called the police. The man reportedly ran off with their 2 year old child. The victim of domestic violence appeared to have been choked and punched, as she suffered injury to her eyes, neck, arms and legs.

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