Contributed Photo/Courtesy GCSO: James Webb, 44, was booked into the jail on various charges all under the domestic violence designation.
By Jon Johnson
GRAHAM COUNTY – James Webb, 44, was arrested and booked into the Graham County Adult Detention Facility on Sunday night after allegedly choking his wife, threatening to kill her with a pickaxe and throwing a beer bottle at her vehicle as she fled.
Webb was booked into the jail on charges of aggravated assault, criminal damage, threatening and intimidating, and disorderly conduct, all under the domestic violence designation.
According to a Graham County Sheriff’s Office report, the victim – who is estranged from her husband and is going through a divorce – said she was moving a travel trailer from a friend’s house to Webb’s property in the Thunderbird Mobile Estates south of Safford.
The victim said Webb had been drinking alcohol and they had been arguing about heir relationship issues. While she was moving her things, he allegedly entered her travel trailer and began choking her. The victim said Webb then grabbed a black and yellow pickaxe and held it up as if he was going to strike her with it while saying, “I’m going to kill you.”
The victim said she stepped back from Webb and told him to go ahead and do it then and he allegedly swung the pickaxe at her but missed. The victim then ran out of the travel trailer and into her car. As she drove from the scene, Webb allegedly threw a glass beer bottle at her, which struck the car as she was backing out of the driveway.
A deputy responded to Webb’s residence shortly after 5:30 p.m. and located him sitting on the porch.
When questioned about the incident, Webb denied attacking the victim and suggested perhaps her boyfriend had done so. He also said he didn’t know anything about a pickaxe and didn’t own one. He did, however, admitted to throwing the beer bottle at the car even though the deputy hadn’t yet asked him about it. A black and yellow pickaxe was later found laying on the ground outside of the travel trailer.
Webb was arrested and was transported to the jail. During booking, he was given a portable breath test which placed his breath/alcohol level at .219 percent. He was then booked into the jail without further incident and the pickaxe was packaged as evidence.
