When Throwing a Wine Glass Leads to Assault with a Deadly Weapon

When throwing a wine glass leads to assault with a deadly weapon, a Florida woman faces serious prison time. A mother was arrested this past weekend in Canyon Country under suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. Her weapon of choice: a wine-filled wine glass.

According to reports, the 43-year-old suspect was at her previous residence, where her daughter now lives, in Canyon Country near Shadow Pines Blvd. The suspect, currently a Florida resident, had stopped by her previous residence to pick up some personal belongings when an argument broke out between her daughter and her. At some point during the argument, the suspect allegedly threw a wine-filled wine glass at her daughter, which shattered upon impact and resulted in cuts to the victim’s arm and hand.

When Santa Clarita Sheriff Station deputies arrived at the scene, they took the mother into custody on suspicion of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury.

Assault with a deadly weapon is covered under California Penal Code 245(a)(1) PC. The charge can be applied in a wide variety of circumstances due to the fact that it doesn’t really matter which “weapon” a person allegedly uses to assault someone. In California, pretty much anything can be considered a deadly weapon if the assault is carried out with an adequate amount of force that could result in producing great bodily injury.

Assault with a deadly weapon is a “wobbler” which can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on a variety of circumstances. Those circumstances include:

  • The type of weapon used to commit the assault
  • Whether or not the victim suffered any injury, and if so, how serious the injury was
  • Who the victim was (was it a police officer or other protected person?)

Misdemeanor charges include the possible penalties of summary probation, up to 1 year in county jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000. Possible penalties for felony charges include formal probation, 2 to 4 years in California state prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000.