Philando Castile's Fmr. Girlfriend Charged With Hammer Assault
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The woman who gained international attention last July after she live streamed the aftermath of her boyfriend's fatal shooting by police was arrested and charged Friday in connection to a hammer assault.
Diamond Laray Reynolds, from West St. Paul, was arrested with two other women in connection to an assault that happened Tuesday morning on St. Paul's east side.
The criminal complaint says officers were called to the 1500 block of Jessamine Lane at about 10:30 a.m. on a report of an assault in progress. The caller told police a group of women "jumped" another woman and hit her in the head with a hammer. They also said the group of seven or eight females fled in a white truck and silver car.
The victim, 25, suffered serious injuries and was taken to Regions Hospital.
She told investigators she was driving east on Magnolia Avenue East near Johnson Parkway when she noticed she was being followed by a white SUV, according to the complaint.
She pulled into her residential parking lot, got out and saw several women coming her way, including 27-year-old Reynolds and 18-year-old Chnika Blair.
The victims said Reynolds punched her in the head while Blair grabbed her hair. She says Reynolds pulled out a hammer and hit her in the head, causing her to fall to the ground. She said she blacked out briefly, then came back to consciousness to find Reynolds continuing to strike her with the tool.
She says she tried to get away when Reynolds started hitting her car with the hammer, but she was soon confronted by 25-year-old Dyamond Richardson, who allegedly sprayed her with bear mace before the group fled the parking lot.
All three women were arrested Thursday after the victim identified them in a photo lineup. The victim also showed police a threatening Facebook post made by Reynolds.
The complaint says Richardson told investigators she was in a dispute with the victim, who she claims came to her work and started a fight. Richardson also claims the victim had damaged Reynolds vehicle.
The Washington County Attorney's office is handling the case due to Reynolds connection to the Philando Castile case, which is being tried in Ramsey County.
Reynolds is charged with a count of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and a count of third-degree assault inflicting substantial bodily harm. She could face up to 12 years in prison if convicted on both counts.
