OCEAN CITY — A Towson, Md. woman was arrested on first-degree assault charges last weekend after allegedly threatening a family member with a butcher knife during an argument about how she cooked eggs for breakfast.
Around 9 a.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to a condo at 72nd Street for a reported domestic assault that had already occurred. Upon arrival, the officer met with t Mary Anne Tom, 54, of Towson, Md., who was staying in the unit with family members for the weekend.
Tom told the responding officer she had been in an argument with a male because he did not like the eggs she had prepared for breakfast, according to police reports. Tom reportedly told the officer of her feelings of not being appreciated by the victim. Tom told police that during the argument, Tom lunged toward her in an aggressive manner as if to attack her.
According to police reports, Tom told the officer at that point, she grabbed a kitchen knife and pointed it at the victim and said, “If you come near me, I’ll stab you.” Tom reportedly advised the officer the victim had wrapped his arm around her neck, pulled her to the ground, held her there and took the knife away from her. She reportedly agreed the victim’s actions were the result of him trying to protect himself.
However, according to police reports, the officer determined through the investigation Tom was never in a choke hold and had not been assaulted as she originally claimed on the telephone prior to the officer’s arrival. Meanwhile, the victim reportedly told police Tom began walking toward him with the butcher knife in her hand and threatened to stab him. The victim advised officers he grabbed the knife from Tom and subdued her on the ground until he could free himself to leave with his children, according to police reports. The victim reportedly told the officers after he took the butcher knife from her, Tom repeatedly attempted to grab other knives, which is why he subdued her. The victim told police he then drove to the police station to report the incident.
According to reports, the victim advised he had a cut on his arm from the knife as well as bite marks. The victim reportedly told police his 7-year-old daughter was present and witnessed the incident, and he was genuinely scared and concerned for his safety and the safety of his children. The victim reportedly told police if he did not take the knife away from Tom, someone would have gotten hurt. The officer observed small lacerations on the victim’s left forearm where he had been cut during the incident.
Tom was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree assault and reckless endangerment.
