Inset: Henry Roberts (KVOA). Background: Maile Marshall describing how Roberts allegedly attacked her outside her Tucson, Ariz., home (KVOA).
An Arizona man randomly attacked a woman who was sweeping her driveway, punching her in the face more than 20 times as she screamed for help and leaving her with a concussion and “cactus thorns” in her thigh, cops say.
Henry Roberts, 44, is facing two counts of aggravated assault.
According to a probable cause arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, 29-year-old Maile Marshall was doing yard work at her home Friday in Tucson. She had the gate open and was sweeping out dirt when she made “eye contact” with Roberts, whom she did not know.
Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.
The victim later told cops that he was making her feel “uncomfortable with him continuing to look at her.” Suddenly, Roberts rushed toward her and made it inside the gate just before she closed it, cops wrote. She tried to hit him with her broom, but she missed.
“He walks through this gate, lifts his fist. And I lift the broom and he just tackles me into a cactus. I have cactus thorns all on my thigh,” Marshall said in an interview with local NBC affiliate KVOA. “He at this point is on top of me, straddling me, repeated punching me in the face, probably 10 to 15 times.”
The victim began screaming for help and she told cops several times that she believed Roberts was going to kill her, the affidavit said. She was trying to protect herself from him as he allegedly pummeled her another five to 10 times.
A neighbor heard the commotion and went to help. Roberts ran away, according to the affidavit, but the neighbor snapped a few photos of the suspect as he fled.
Marshall suffered a concussion, a contusion on her forehead larger than a quarter and several other bruises and scratches all over her body.
The good Samaritan posted the photos on social media, leading officers to identify Marshall. Police arrested him the day after the incident.
After receiving his Miranda rights, Roberts admitted to attacking the victim, cops said. He said he was crossing the street when the victim “flipped him the bird,” which set him off, cops wrote. Roberts reportedly said he hit Marshall around 10 times while she was on the ground.
Marshall told KVOA she was relieved Roberts was arrested and is now focused on her healing.
“This is not just another case number,” she said. “This is my emotional well-being and this is something I am going to have to live with for the rest of my life.”
Roberts remained in the Pima County Jail on a $30,000 bond as of Tuesday afternoon. His next court date was not listed.
The post Woman ends up with concussion, cactus thorns in her thigh after man randomly attacks her while she was doing yard work: Cops first appeared on Law & Crime.
