CLEARFIELD – A Clearfield woman charged with assaulting a Curwensville woman outside her apartment was in Clearfield County Court Tuesday.
Betsy S. Clark, 39, pleaded guilty before Judge Paul E. Cherry to simple assault, theft by unlawful taking and a summary harassment charge.
She was sentenced to 22 days to 90 days in jail and two years consecutive probation. She was fined $500 plus costs and she must pay $132.98 in restitution. She was also ordered to complete anger management counseling.
Originally she and her co-defendant, David S. Peterson, 36, were both charged with aggravated assault and two counts of robbery in addition to the simple assault and theft charges. The aggravated assault and robbery charges were dismissed after a preliminary hearing in March.
The charges stem from an incident Feb. 17 when Clark and Peterson approached the victim in a parking lot at her Curwensville apartment. Clark accused her of stealing prescription medications from them, took her purse and struck her.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, the victim told police she left Wal-Mart in Clearfield with her two sons that night. On her way home, she noticed a vehicle following her. It followed her to her home in Curwensville where it parked near her in the lot.
Clark exited that vehicle, approached her and accused her of stealing some prescription drugs earlier that night. She opened the driver’s side door and grabbed the victim’s purse. The victim exited her vehicle to get her purse back. Clark entered the victim’s vehicle and grabbed some other items, the victim told police.
The victim then reached into her vehicle, grabbed her purse and attempted to walk away. However, Peterson was standing close by and blocked her from doing so.
The victim said Clark punched her in the face approximately five times and pushed her to the ground. Once the victim was on the ground, she said Peterson dragged her across the parking lot, and Clark then punched her approximately five more times in the face.
During the preliminary hearing, a witness said the two women were shoving each other before the victim swung at Clark. Peterson tried to break it up, this witness testified. The investigating officer said Clark claimed it was a mutual fight, according to previously published reports.