Woman claims she hit child in face with thrown butcher knife by accident, police say

A Cape Girardeau woman threw a butcher knife, hitting a 9-year-old girl in the face in what she claimed was an accident, police said.

The Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Lataisha E. Roberts, 26, with endangering the welfare of a child and unlawful use of a weapon, both felonies.

Shortly before midnight Wednesday, Cape Girardeau police responded to reports of a stabbing at a residence in the 500 block of Koch Avenue in Cape Girardeau according to a probable-cause statement filed in the case by Cpl. Jake Scheper.

The victim’s mother told police her sister — the victim’s aunt — had thrown the knife after an argument, Scheper wrote.

The victim’s mother had gone to Roberts’ house to retrieve some belongings and “yelled at Roberts to never touch her child again,” referring to a spanking incident involving a child other than the victim earlier in the day, Scheper wrote.

Roberts argued with the victim’s mother, following her outside to her car, according to the statement.

Roberts told police the victim’s mother threatened her with a can of Mace, so she threw a knife at her car, Scheper wrote.

Roberts was standing about 5 to 10 feet from the car, and the knife was “an approximately 13-inch kitchen (butcher) knife,” according to the statement.

The victim was struck in the face and sustained a half-inch cut to her right cheek, Scheper wrote.

Roberts told police she did not know the window of the car was down when she threw the knife and didn’t know anyone had been hit, Scheper wrote.

Roberts’ bond was set at $7,500, with the condition she have no contact with the victim nor possess any weapons.

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3627

Pertinent address:

500 block of Koch Avenue, Cape Girardeau, Mo.