Lyndora woman charged for aggravated assault in Lawrence County
A Lyndora woman is facing felony and misdemeanor charges in Lawrence County, after police said she dragged a woman along the road with her vehicle after an altercation about drugs.
Jessica Locke, 34, was charged Friday with felonies of aggravated assault, accidents involving injury, misdemeanor driving under the influence, reckless endangerment and simple assault.
Officers of Union Township, Lawrence County, said they responded around 10:30 a.m. July 28 to a call for a woman thrown from a vehicle in the 2000 block of Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
The witness said she was thrown from the vehicle as Locke was driving, after Locke accused her of stealing drugs. The victim was transported to a hospital for a lower leg injury.
Police said Locke was located in her vehicle, a red 2011 Cadillac SUV, in the parking lot of a nearby business. Police said Locke showed signs of impairment.
Locke told police that she and the witness traveled to Ohio to sell baby clothes, and on the way there, they smoked crack cocaine. During her initial testimony, Locke said the witness was “running her mouth off.”
Police said Locke contradicted her statement during questioning, saying at first that the witness was driving, then that she herself was driving.
“Locke stated that she was lying about selling baby clothes and also that (the witness) was not driving the vehicle,” the officer said.
In the witness’s statement, Locke was driving the vehicle when she pulled over on Route 422 to smoke crack cocaine and shoot heroin. According to the affidavit, the witness placed a piece of crack cocaine in her pocket after smoking. Locke became agitated and was accusing the witness of stealing the drugs.
The witness told police she tried to reason with Locke but was unsuccessful.
“(The witness) told Locke about 15 times to let her out of the car and she kept saying, ‘Hell no, I got something for you,’” the officer said.
Police said the witness put the car in park and the two punched each other.
“(The witness) then opened the door and stepped out with her right foot and grabbed her purse (when) Locke drove off while (the witness) was partly still in the vehicle,” the officer said.
The witness added she held Locke’s hair and the passenger seat while being dragged along the road.
According to Locke’s statement in the affidavit, the witness attempted to take Locke’s money from her bra, which resulted in the altercation. Locke said the witness grabbed her hair and tried to pull her out of the passenger side door when she “pulled forward and got out of there.”
Locke also received a summary charge for driving with a suspended license for DUI-related charges, police said.
According to court documents, Locke has yet to be arrested. A preliminary hearing has not been scheduled.