MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A 37-year-old woman is charged with assault after authorities say she ran her husband’s new girlfriend off the road and beat her with an aluminum bat.
Beatriz Fernandez, of Lakeville, has been charged with two counts of second-degree assault in the Nov. 12 incident.
According to the charges, officers were called to the area of County Road 42 and Summit Ridge Circle in Burnsville, on a report of a woman assaulting another woman with a bat.
While responding, officers learned that the suspect, Fernandez, fled the area in her vehicle.
Investigators spoke with the victim on scene who said she was driving down County Road 42 when another vehicle, allegedly driven by Fernandez began to hit her. The victim said her male passenger, Fernandez’s husband, was able to run out of the vehicle but she was forced off the road by Fernandez.
When she exited the vehicle, she told officers Fernandez began to attack her with a bat, hitting her in the head.
An aluminum bat was located on the ground near the victim’s vehicle.
The victim was hospitalized with a fractured skull and abrasions on her knees, feet and hip in the incident.
According to investigators, the husband said he is married to Fernandez but moved out of the house and moved in with a friend about a month and a half ago. He said Fernandez said when she found out who he was messing around with, she would “f— them up.”
He told officers his girlfriend picked him up on Nov. 12 from the place he was staying in Farmington and when he got into the car, he noticed Fernandez driving towards them. He said she followed them and pulled up alongside their vehicle as they approached County Road 42. He said that’s when she struck their vehicle with hers on the left rear corner.
The husband told police Fernandez struck their vehicle three or four more times before the vehicle spun out.
Fernandez was located in her vehicle at the intersection of County Road 42 and 10th Avenue. Officers say an open bottle of wine, multiple pill bottles and a notebook with several suicidal messages was found in the vehicle.
According to the charges, Fernandez became lethargic while talking with officers and told them she took about 20 sleeping and 20 pain pills.
She was transported to Ridges Hospital.
If convicted, of both counts, Fernandez faces up to 17 years in prison and/or up to $34,000 in fines.
