article courtesy of MorningSun
A 33-year-old woman faces felonious assault and other charges after she allegedly shoved a fence post into another woman’s foot during a property line dispute in Weidman.
Marla Jo Hoag, 33, of Ypsilanti, was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, a four-year felony; aggravated assault, a one-year misdemeanor; and assault and battery a 93-day misdemeanor, after police say she aggressively inserted herself into an argument between neighbors in Nottawa Township on Sept. 18.
The two women – who live next-door to each other in the 5000 block of West Lake Shore Drive – began arguing when one pulled a fence post the other had installed on a disputed property line, according to a court documents.
Carrie Swiercinsky, 58, put the post back in the ground and then her 61-year-old neighbor Deborah Predmesky pulled it out again until Hoag joined the fray and grabbed the post herself.
Hoag grabbed the four-foot-tall green “T-post,” and threatened to attack Predmesky, according to her account to police from the Isabella County Sheriff’s office.
“While holding the post Marla said, ‘I’ll shove this up your ass,” and then told (Predmesky) she would, ‘jab this in your foot,’” according court documents.
Using the post, Hoag then stabbed the woman in the foot, according to court documents.
Police said Predmesky had three wounds on her left foot that were bleeding.
Hoag told police she took the post from Predmesky and placed it back in the ground, but said she did not strike the woman; she admitted to the first verbal threat, but denied threatening to stab the woman’s foot.
Swiercinsky said when Hoag grabbed the post she went into her home to retrieve her phone so she could record the conflict and she did not witness the exchange between the other two women.
Police indicated last week that the recording was part of an investigation that was heading to the Isabella County Prosecutor’s office for review.
Hoag’s bond was set at 10 percent of $21,000 and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 12 at 1:45 p.m.
A past criminal history is noted in court documents for Hoag’s charges, including operating while intoxicated, “drug crimes,” and a resisting and obstructing conviction from 2008.
Hoag was ultimately a key witness for prosecutors in the 2008 beating of James Williams, who was left for dead in a snow bank outside of a Mt. Pleasant bar on New Year’s Day.
She initially denied witnessing the attack but later provided key testimony in the case.
Hoag was dating James Jerome Hunter at the time of the incident. Hunter – who was 19 at the time – is now is serving 25 to 37 years for the assault; another man involved, Raymond Jones, was sentenced 19 to 30 years.
She pleaded guilty in that case and was sentenced to two years’ probation, 104 hours’ community service and $570 fines and costs, along with a 30-day delayed jail sentence.
