Contributed Photo/Courtesy GCSO: Stephanie Roman was booked into jail on aggravated asault, assault, threatening or intimidating, and disorderly conduct charges all under the domestic violence statute.
By Jon Johnson
GRAHAM COUNTY – Stephanie Kay Roman, 31, of Safford, was arrested and booked into the Graham County Adult Detention Facility on Sept. 18 after allegedly threatening her mother with a butcher knife and assaulting her. Stephanie was booked on charges of aggravated assault, two counts of disorderly conduct, threatening or intimidating, and two counts of assault – all under the domestic violence offense.
Roman also has additional charges from a separate incident filed in August that she still has to answer for. Those charges included disorderly conduct, failure to comply with a court order and escape in the third degree.
She had a few other charges in Safford Municipal Court that have been adjudicated.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence and need somewhere to stay, contact the Mt. Graham Safe House at (928) 348-9548 or 1-888-269-9104.
The victim suffered multiple cuts on her fingers from the suspect biting them, along with a swollen lump on her forehead, an injury to her knee, and there was blood around her mouth. She was taken by paramedics from Lifeline Ambulance to Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center (MGRMC) for treatment and was then released.
According to a Graham County Sheriff’s Office report, deputies were dispatched at about 9:45 a.m. to the scene of a domestic violence assault.
Upon arrival, a deputy and a Safford officer located Stephanie at the residence, and she climbed out of a bedroom window and surrendered without further incident. During booking, the suspect had a breath/alcohol concentration of .151 percent, which showed significant drinking. The threshold for an extreme DUI while driving is a blood/alcohol percentage of .150.
The victim reportedly said Stephanie had been drinking alcohol the night prior and the two had a verbal altercation stemming from that. Afterward, they both went to their separate bedrooms but she was awakened by Stephanie brandishing the blade of a 10-inch Butcher’s knife across the victim’s forearm while threatening to stab her with it, according to the victim’s statement to police.
Stephanie denied using a knife during the altercation and said she was defending herself from an attack by the victim.
After ditching the knife (the one allegedly used in the attack was not located by police), Stephanie reportedly continued assaulting the victim physically, including throwing her to the ground and attempting to strangle her. At that point Stephanie allegedly bit down on the victim’s hands, forcing her to pry them out of her mouth and cause several lacerations.
As the victim was crawling away from the beating, the suspect allegedly caught her from behind and “bashed (her) head on the ground repeatedly.”
At one point the victim managed to crawl away and call for help, which brought another family member to her aid. The additional family member arrived at the house and found the suspect locked in the front bedroom. The suspect then allegedly jumped out of the bedroom window and struck the second family member as well.
Stephanie was taken into custody upon law enforcement’s arrival and was booked into jail on the above-listed charges.
