Michael Lee Jackson, 34, of Festus has been charged with a felony for reportedly assaulting the woman he was sharing a home with. The woman showed up at about 8 a.m. April 16 at the Festus Police Station to report the alleged abuse.
Jackson was arrested the same day, and then two days later the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged him with first-degree assault or attempted assault, a class B felony punishable by five to 15 years in prison. He was being held in the Jefferson County Jail on no bond, according to court documents.
Festus Chief Tim Lewis said the victim walked into the station and reported that Jackson had assaulted her at about 4 a.m. that day at their home on 10th Street.
“She had bruising on the neck and face, a swollen face, eyes swollen,” Lewis said. “The suspect was arrested at the residence a short time later.”
According to the probable-cause statement in the case, the alleged victim told police she was taking a shower “to wash herself off from being assaulted by (Jackson) previously in St. Louis,” and while she was in the shower, he was looking for his cell phone.
She said he could not find the phone, so Jackson allegedly dragged her out of the shower, threw her onto her bed and began “throwing objects at her and striking her with a broom.”
The woman also said Jackson struck her in the face with his fists, and when she attempted to escape, he “placed his hands around her throat and held her down on the bed.” She said she could not breathe and was in fear for her life, according to the report.
While the victim was being evaluated by paramedics, she told them she had gotten bleach in her right eye and could not currently see out of it, but she could not say how the bleach got into her eye. She refused further treatment, the report said.
Jackson told police he did not remember anything because he was drunk.