East Prairie woman charged in attack

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- A Mississippi County woman was arrested after allegedly attacking a man and his vehicle with a crowbar and iron pipe.

Diana K. Bryars, 39, of East Prairie, Mo., is charged with felony first-degree assault, felony first-degree domestic assault and felony causing property damage to a motor vehicle.

According to Sheriff Keith Moore, the incident began Thursday evening when Bryars rammed a vehicle into a farm truck parked at the old Dogwood Store parking lot. The impact caused her vehicle to snag the truck's trailer hitch, so the victim was unable to drive away, Moore said.

"Then, as the victim contacted law enforcement, Bryars used a steel pipe and crowbar to damage the truck and bust out its windows," he said in a news release. "As she busted out the farmer's driver side window, Bryars struck the driver of the vehicle in the face with a crowbar."

At that point, the victim was able to take the crowbar away, the release said, and Bryars fled the scene.

A short time later the woman was apprehended by deputies Mike Tarver and Mike Borders, who transported her to the Mississippi County Detention Center, where she remained in custody.

"The farmer did the right thing by staying in the vehicle and contacting the sheriff's department," Moore said. "Had he gotten out, it could've gone a lot worse."

Bond is set for Bryars at $50,000, cash only. She is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges at 9 a.m. Wednesday by Judge T. Lynn Brown.

Pertinent address:

Charleston, Mo.