Contributed Photo/Courtesy GCSO: From left, Dustin Friend, 20, and Julia Miller, 25, were both arrested and booked into the jail on charges of aggravated assault/domestic violence.
Argument allegedly over gas money
By Jon Johnson
GRAHAM COUNTY – An alleged argument over gas money resulted in a boyfriend and girlfriend being jailed on assault charges after it escalated to a physical confrontation with the use of deadly knives on Feb. 29.
Julia Miller, 25, and Dustin Friend, 20, were both arrested and booked into the Graham County Adult Detention Facility on charges of aggravated assault/domestic violence.
Deputies from the Graham County Sheriff’s Office had already responded to the couple’s residence on W. Pontiac Drive twice earlier that same day before heading out for a third time at about 8:30 p.m. The other calls were regarding domestic issues as well.
Upon arrival of the third call, a deputy located Miller sitting on the porch. Miller allegedly advised that the had asked her boyfriend, Friend, to purchase gas for her car and when he refused she attempted to take a television set in retaliation. Miller said Friend then grabbed her by the throat and choked her.
Miller advised she escaped and grabbed a knife from the kitchen counter and swung it at Friend. She said she then thought better of her actions and apologized. But when she went to put the knife away she said Friend wrapped his arm around her neck and choked her to the point of unconsciousness. While choking her, Miller said Friend also held the knife to her head and told her “see how you like it.”
When she awoke, she said Friend was standing above her with two knives. She said when she attempted to leave, Friend wouldn’t let her stand and when she attempted to crawl away he punched her in her back. She said he also took her cell phone and threw it outside.
Eventually, Friend got into his car and left. At that point, Miller said she located her phone and called 911.
Friend was stopped while driving on Lebanon Loop and taken into custody. He advised that Miller had told him that she was going to go stay at the Mt. Graham Safe House so he could stay at their residence and not have to travel back to Duncan to stay with a relative.
He said when he arrived at the residence, Miller wasn’t there but later returned when he was going to bed and began to yell at him about needing to clean up after himself and over gas money.
Friend said Miller then grabbed a knife and began to swing it at him. He said he attempted to arm himself with a knife but it was covered in grease and Miller managed to take it away from him. He said later Miller demanded he apologize and disarmed him of a pan of spaghetti sauce and a pan that had cooking oil in it. He said Miller then made him grovel on his hands and knees and apologize.
At one point, Friend said Miller turned her back on him and he utilized that time to push her and “choke her out” until she dropped the knives. He said he then took the knives and threw them in the backyard prior to leaving the scene in his car. Another deputy reported locating the knives in the backyard near a storage container.
Both Miller and Friend were arrested and booked into the jail on charges of aggravated assault.
