Former neighbors brawl after theft accusations

A fight ensued between two women on December 19 at 5000 Rural Road SW after one accused the other of stealing from her, resulting in a knocked tooth and a stitched lip.

The victim, Rochelle Holliday, called Tumwater Police Department and reported the alleged assault.

 In her statement to the authorities, she and her husband returned to their property to check on the shed and belongings they had left after moving out.

Upon discovering the shed had been forced open and items missing, the couple asked a neighbor who said it was another neighbor, Heather Pyne and another person, who was allegedly responsible for the break-in.

The victim went to the  Pyne’s house to ask about the incident but was allegedly answered with a strike to her face using a blunt object.

“The suspect out of nowhere hit me with a crystal lamp, splitting my lip open, knocking my front tooth out, and breaking my bottom tooth,” the victim said in her statement with the Tumwater Police.

The victim managed to pull the suspect's hair and free herself before leaving the scene with her husband.

The couple sought medical attention at Capitol Medical Center, where the victim received stitches for her lip and treatment for other injuries, including a scrape on her knee.

After receiving the victim's statement, law enforcement officers proceeded to the suspect’s residence.

When they arrived, the officers observed broken glass shards near the suspect's residence, and a glass bowl on the floor just inside the doorway.

When interrogated, the suspect confirmed her involvement in the incident, saying the victim had attacked her first and was “running her mouth.” After being advised that the conversation was being recorded, the suspect then added that she was attacked by the victim and admitted that she had hit the victim with a glass bowl.

When observing the suspect, the officer reported that “Other than sores on her face which are consistent with narcotic use there were no signs of cuts, scraps, or scratches on her person.”

During a phone call with the victim’s husband, he provided a consistent account of the incident, stating that he witnessed the suspect hitting his wife.

The victim’s husband found the two women on the floor just inside the suspect's house and saw his wife able to get the suspect off her.

“Once my wife got up, I saw nothing but blood streaming out of her mouth. We then got in my vehicle and drove to CMC for treatment,” the husband said during his phone conversation with police.

The suspect had made no attempt to contact the police and report the incident. According to the officer’s report, the suspect later claimed she had no access to a phone, then was reminded that the other person on the property at the time had a working phone that could have been used.

Due to the severity of the victim's injuries, including stitches and the loss of a tooth, authorities found probable cause to arrest the suspect. The suspect was transported to TCSO Jail and booked for second-degree assault.