RICHMOND, Ind. — An Indiana woman now faces a battery charge after she reportedly hit a stranger over the head with a meat tenderizer as he was sitting inside a Richmond parking lot.
Faith Garrett, a 56-year-old Richmond resident, was arrested last weekend and charged with one count of felony battery by means of a deadly weapon. She has since been released from Wayne County Jail.
The charge against Garrett stems from an incident on Nov. 4 that resulted in a man in Richmond suffering multiple facial lacerations.
Officers with the Richmond Police Department were called around 10:50 p.m. Saturday to the 800 block of North E Street for a reported battery.
While en route, RPD officers were told by 911 dispatchers that the caller was hit in the head with a hammer by an “unidentified male or female” wearing black pants and a black windbreaker.
Upon arrival, RPD officers met up with a woman who matched the suspect description and was wearing all black. The woman, later identified as Garrett, was given a pat down by officers.
One officer reported feeling a hard, rounded object inside Garrett’s left jacket pocket.
“When I asked Faith what the object was, she removed a black meat tenderizer with a chrome handle and handed it to me,” an RPD officer wrote in his report. “I asked Faith why she had a meat tenderizer in her pocket, and she stated ‘to cook with’.”
Officers then spoke with the victim, who stated that he was walking west on North E Street to his car when he saw a person following him.
When he reached his car, the victim said he sat inside but did not shut the door. He said that a woman, later identified as Garrett, approached his vehicle and started “yelling incoherently” at him.
After telling her to go away, the man said Garrett took out a “black hammer” from her jacket and hit him over the head one time. He said he then stood up and exited the car.
Once out of the car, the victim said Garrett struck him in the head with the tenderizer around two to three more times in the same spot. While speaking with the victim, RPD officers noted he had three to four small cuts on the left side of his head.
The victim, RPD said, was offered medical attention by Richmond Fire crews but he denied transport to the hospital. The man reportedly identified Garrett, who was still standing with RPD officers, as the suspect in his attack.
“The suspect stated that he had never met Faith before and stated that the attack was unprovoked,” court documents show.
Meanwhile, after being read her Miranda Rights, Garrett reportedly told officers she was yelling at the victim because she thought he was drunk. She denied ever hitting the man with the meat tenderizer.
“During my interaction with Faith, I observed a strong smell of an alcoholic beverage coming from her person,” the arresting officer wrote. “Additionally, Faith had blood shot glassy eyes, was unstable on her feet, and had slurred disorganized speech.”
Garrett, RPD said, was subsequently handcuffed, loaded into a squad car and taken to the Wayne County Jail without further incident.
The meat tenderizer was taken to an evidence locker.
A corporal working at the Wayne County Jail confirmed on Thursday night that Garrett was released from custody on Nov. 6. Online court records have not been updated to reflect her initial hearing date.
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